TIRUPPUR : For the third time in a row, P Vijayakumar (42), a farmer, has launched a hunger strike to close a stone quarry in Kodangipalayam panchayat in Palladam on Monday morning.
Vijayakumar told TNIE, “My first hunger strike was launched on August 30, 2022, after a stone near my farmland completely buried my survival. Earlier, I had lost more than 40 coconut trees in my farmland due to the depletion of groundwater, besides, my 60-foot well had also dried up. This is due to the giant stone quarry, which is located 200 meters away from my farmland. Despite several petitions, the stone quarry has been operating here for more than 10 years.”
He added, “In the beginning, I withdrew my hunger strike after the official intervention, and the quarry was temporarily stopped and the fine was levied. After two months, the quarry again started operating. On September 26, 2023, I along with a group of farmers launched a hunger strike at the Rajarathinam Stadium, Chennai for a day. We met K Phanindra Reddy the Secretary of the Natural Resources Department. As a result, the quarry was again closed for the next four months. We were happy.
However, it has started functioning again with the approval of the Tiruppur District Collector and Director of Mines and Geology Department (Tiruppur), we were shocked and despite seeking approvals for operation, we were refused any documents. So, Once again I have launched a hunger strike.”
An official from the Department of Geology and Mining (Tiruppur) said, “A team of officials will visit the spot, and licenses are only offered to eligible ones. Besides, officials approve permission only after studying all technical reports submitted by the licensee. However, we will also conduct a field study in this particular case after consulting our technical team and informing our higher officials in Chennai.”