Department of Mines to organise meeting to control illicit mineral mining, transporting after growing public anger

Department of Mines to organise meeting to control illicit mineral mining, transporting after growing public anger

Following unprecedented growing anger among the public and conservationists against alleged rampant illicit mining of minerals in the district well above the permissible level and transporting it to neighbouring Kerala in heavy vehicles round-the-clock, the Department of Mines has finally yielded to the demand for organising a meeting by involving all stakeholders to control this threat to the environment.

The district, housing 50-odd stone quarries, stands witness to unlawful mining of minerals including stones, blue metal, M-sand and quarry dust and a few cases have been filed consequently in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court by ‘Iyarkai Vala Paathukaapu Sangam’, an apolitical registered body instituted for fighting against the looting of natural resources. In a bid to arrive at the quantum of illegal mining done in these quarries all these years, the Court has directed the officials to use modern survey techniques including drone survey to find the quantity actually mined from the quarries of Tenkasi.

Even as these cases are pending before the Court, the continuing unlawful mining and resultant public anger that burst recently in the form of petrol bomb attack on a mineral-laden lorry has forced the Department of Mines to organise a meeting to regulate mining and its transportation.

According to the communique from Vinodh, Assistant Director, Department of Mines and Geology, Tenkasi, to all Tahsildars, Regional Transport Officer, Tenkasi, owners of quarries and stone crushers and lorry owners’ association, the meeting to be convened at the Collectorate on Monday (February 2) in the presence of the District Collector and Superintendent of Police would discuss all complaints received from the public pertaining to mineral mining and transportation and find viable and everlasting solution.

Even though the conservationists are indefinitely demanding strict implementation of regulations for mining of minerals, the violations in mining and transportation has triggered public anger. The conservationists charge that the transporters, with the help of a few weighbridges, are getting fake weighbridge receipts to hoodwink the officials checking overloading of minerals.

The public also say that the recent petrol bomb attack on a Kerala-bound mineral-laden lorry near Alangulam in the district, in which the truck driver suffered serious burns, was also “demonstration of public anger” against the plundering of Tenkasi’s mineral wealth by the mafia, who also severely damage the roads with heavy loads beyond the permissible level.