Farmer’s hunger protest at Kondangipalayam in Tiruppur against ‘excess mining’ by quarry enters sixth day

Farmer protests excessive gravel extraction by mining firm, demanding FIR registration, leading to suspension and penalty for unlawful mining.

Citing evidence of excess gravel extraction by a mining firm at Kodangipalayam village in Palladam taluk, a farmer Vijayakumar continued his hunger fast at his residence close to the quarry for the sixth day on Saturday, demanding registration of a First Information Report.

An inspection by the taluk-level special task force earlier this year reportedly estimated excess mining by Ezhil Blue Metal to the extent of 20 lakh cubic metre of rough stones, and a report was submitted to the Collector.

From 2016 to 2021, the mine had extracted 16.9 lakh metric tonnes and in the current quarry in operation, 3.2 lakh cubic metres had been quarried in excess, going by the inspection report.

The orders of the Collector and Director of Geology and Mining were accessed by Arappor Iyakkam through Right to Information Act.

The (then) Collector had, in his order dated September 9, 2022, suspended the quarry operations.

Based on an appeal made by the lessee R. Ramakrishnan, the then Director of Geology and Mining J. Jayakanthan had reversed the Collector’s order and reopened the existing quarry by levying penalty of ₹10.4 crore, on the basis of “excess mining”.

The formula for “unlawful mining” entails penalty of ₹103 crore. The loss to the exchequer from the quarry was ₹92.63 crore, the Arappor Iyakkam had pointed out.