The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Court stays sand quarrying in Perungavur village

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 03, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Court stays sand quarrying in Perungavur village

Special Correspondent

Officials asked to conduct joint inspection, report to judge

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has stayed sand quarrying at a site in Perungavur village until further orders.

Adjourning hearing on a public interest litigation petition to November 13, the First Bench ordered the Tiruvallur district administration to conduct a joint inspection of the site and report to the court. According to the petitioner, S. Sarvath Kumar, a councillor of Perungavur panchayat, the Assistant Director of Geology and Mines Department had issued sand quarrying permission for six months.

The petitioner said the contractor was permitted to quarry only 2,000 units of sand and not dig beyond three feet. Quarrying should be done only between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. The petitioner said the contractor used earthmovers and turbo lorries in violation of norms, and the Perungavur lake bund had been weakened due to this. Irrigation and drinking water needs of the village and nearby places had been affected, and the heavy vehicles had damaged village roads. Taking note of the submissions, Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru issued notice to authorities as well as the contractor. It directed the District Collector, RDO of Ponneri and the Assistant Director of Geology and Mining to conduct a joint inspection and submit a report in court.

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