Madurai: In a significant development, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday passed an interim order staying the sand quarrying operations in a long stretch of the river Cauvery between Karur (Mayanur) and Tiruchirappalli.
A division bench comprising Justices K. K . Sasidharan and G. R . Swaminathan ordered interim injunction based on a petition filed by one V. Srinivasan from Musiri town who alleged illegal sand quarrying in the above mentioned river areas was causing threat to the very stability of the bridge near Kulithalai and water scarcity.
Srinivasan also produced photographs and other documentary evidence, prima facie, to support his contention, said the court.
The petitioner contended that due to indiscriminate sand quarrying activities in the river the water table in Karur and Tiruchy districts have gone down drastically which cause drinking water crisis for the people.
The farmers were also suffering due to these unscrupulous mining activities, he said.
Recording his observation, the court also suo motu impleaded the project director, sand mining operation, Tiruchy, and the executive engineer, Sand Mining operations, Tiruchy, as respondents in the case.
M Govindan, special government pleader, has taken note of the notices issued on other respondents including the PWD secretary, district collectors of Karur and Tiruchy.
Justice Sasidharan also issued notice to the managing director, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Chennai, Division Forest Officer, Crash Plantation Division, Karur, and member-secretary, state level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Tamil Nadu, and posted the next hearing to August 28.
