Karur, Tiruchy farmers ask collectors to stop sand mining

According to the petitioners from Lalgudi in Tiruchy district, there are around 1000 families depend only on agriculture but a few sand mafias have already dug the Kollidam river for more than 40 feet depth and the ground water level has gone down. Meanwhile, the desilting work for the Ayyan canal which has been used by the farmers of the area for irrigation had not been undertaken for more than 15 years and so they could not receive water for irrigation promptly forcing them to use only borewells for irrigation. 

Huge quantity of water has been pumped out for the combined drinking water scheme from the Kollidam and supplied to Perambalur and Pudukkottai districts, they added. 

In such a situation, the farmers had come to know of a new sand quarry being established in Kollidam between Ariyur and Sengarayur in Lalgudi. 

“Since the river bed is dug for more than 40 feet depth, the new sand quarry may worsen the condition in the region,” they said and appealed to the Collector to stop establishing the new sand quarry to save their livelihood. 

Meanwhile, the farmers from Karur also submitted a petition with the Karur Collector to stop the existing sand quarry at Noyyal river. They appealed to the Collector that they had submitted several petitions with the officials but their petitions are not heeded to. They stressed that the ground water level in Karur region had been drastically affected due to sand quarries.