The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Sand quarrying sets off fears of water shortage in Thirumukkoodal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Sand quarrying sets off fears of water shortage in Thirumukkoodal

V. Venkatasubramanian

“Blasting of rocks using gelatin sticks has indirect impact on groundwater table”

KANCHEEPURAM: Residents of Thirumukkoodal and nearby villages on the southern bank of the Palar river near Pazhayaseevaram on the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu Road have expressed fear that their villagers may face acute water shortage in near future.

While sand is being quarried in large quantity from the riverbed on the northernside of Thirumukkoodal, granite quarry operators used gelatin sticks to break rocks on the southern side.

Repeated blasting of rocks using gelatin sticks in the recent past had an indirect impact on the groundwater table in the area, farmers said.

Earlier, they were able to tap groundwater within 60 to 80 feet in the hamlets. But now the groundwater table has gone down beyond 100 feet.

Further, setting up of a sand quarry on the Palar riverbed in the vicinity of a new bridge, being constructed by the National Highways, is all set to affect the sub-surface water availability.

Apart from posing a grave threat to the water resource, quarrying of sand in the vicinity of the bridge under construction has raised fears among the villagers whether the much awaited road link facility would withstand for long or not.Hitherto, the riverbed carriageway serves as a link between Thirumukkoodal and the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu Road.

The bridge construction work, which witnessed a slow progress, has reached the final stage and is expected to be completed in a short period.

Road damaged

Apart from causing an irreparable damage to natural resources, continuous movement of heavy vehicles laden with blue metal on the Salavakkam-Thirumukkoodal Road has left huge craters on the carriageway, the villagers said. Further, parking of sand lorries near the Thirumukkoodal-Pazhayaseevaram junction has led to frequent traffic hold-ups at this junction.

It has created problem not only for motorists on the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu Road but also for the villagers crossing river through the riverbed carriageway.

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