COIMBATORE: The district police have instructed the brick kilns in Thadagam valley to stop their operations to transport the stocks until further orders from the district collector.The 177 brick kilns, which were sealed in 2021 for want of various permits, started to transport the stocks on Wednesday, following an interim relief issued by the commissioner of geology and mining, which stated that the kilns,can clear the stocks after paying a fine to the state government.
On Friday, according to sources, the police instructed the kilns to stop functioning and transporting bricks stating that they did not receive any order from the collector regarding this matter.” The police also warned that they will seize vehicles and bricks if anyone is found transporting them.”
As per order issued on December 29, fines ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh have been fixed for 177 brick kilns, which were functioning in five villages in the valley, Chinna Thadagam (83), Veerapandi (58), Nanjundapuram (19), Somayampalayam (10) and Panneermadai (7). The order, however, is subject to the final judgement of cases related to brick kiln operations pending before the Madras High Court (HC) and the Southern Zone of the National Green Tribunal.
Coimbatore collector had issued an order in June 2021 to seal the kilns. Meanwhile, brick kiln operators appealed to the commissioner of geology and mining against the order and petitioned for interim relief based on an order issued by the HC in April 2022 on their writ petitions. The commissioner conducted a direct inquiry and received written affidavits from the kiln owners, which were considered under Tamil Nadu Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1959, and the kiln operators were told to pay the penalty.
The order further stated that kiln owners can shift the bricks from the premises by paying an instalment of Rs 2 lakh and added that the owners can pay the rest of the amount within 12 months.The order also permitted the kilns to resume operations adhering to the norms, like obtaining NOC from the Hill Area Conservation Authority for excavating soil.