COIMBATORE: In protest against the illegal stone quarries functioning in the area, farmers from Kinathukadavu Taluk have decided to conduct an awareness campaign in villages from September 9.
The campaign will start at No 10 Muthur and legal and environmental experts will hold talks to educate people about the norms of quarry operations. The committee of protesters has taken the decision to prevent new stone quarries in the area and stop the functioning of existing unauthorized ones.
P Kailasam, a farmer from Muthugoundanur in Kinathukadavu Taluk, said, “As per norms, the license should not be issued to stone quarries functioning within 300 meters of residential area and it should be operated 500 meters away from any common bore well. Also, there is a limit for the weight of gravel that can be taken through panchayat roads. However, many farmers are unaware of these things and they are not objecting to the operation of illegal stone quarries. In order to educate them we have started the awareness campaign, in which we will detail the detail them norms for stone quarry’s operation to them.”
K Sivaprakash, one of the coordinators of the committee of protesters said, “Villages have been affected heavily due to stone quarries. More than 60 quarries are operational and each village has at least two stone quarries. But, many are unaware of the norms. We will conduct an awareness campaign on September 9.” He added that the committee members will visit each village to educate them on the norms of stone quarry operation on weekends.
Esan Murugasamy, founder of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association, who is leading the committee of protesters said, “Villages are not only affected by pollution but also by decreasing groundwater level due to the operation of stone quarries. Villagers also need to bear the sound and vibration of explosives used in the quarries.
There are rules and regulations for using explosives to break rock. But the stone quarry operators are using them indiscriminately. We are conducting classes to help the villagers take their grievances to the government”
