Day after AIADMK protest, public cross sword with sand transporters

VELLORE: The tussle between the DMK and AIADMK in which the opposition party’s deputy general secretary KP Munusamy lead an agitation at Anaicut, 20 km from Vellore has galvanized both officials and public against illegal mining.

This was evident when officials of the mines and minerals department started checking tipper lorries carrying quarry stones passing through Pallikonda.

Acting on a tip off that lorries were carrying more than the stipulated loads via Kandaneri–Anaicut road, officials stopped and checked a lorry reportedly belonging to a DMK councillor and found that it was carrying excess load of alluvial sand.

Meanwhile, the driver fled the spot and the lorry along with the load was sent to the Pallikonda police station.

Similarly, residents of Pogalur near Pernambut impounded a tipper lorry carrying stones from a sanctioned quarry after a local, Deenadayalan (23), fell into a ditch while trying to give way to a lorry with load.

Irate residents marched to the quarry and threatened that lorries would not be allowed to pass through their area. They also dug a trench to prevent access to the quarry. However, quarry workers immediately filled up the trench.

Irked by this, villagers stopped and impounded a loaded tipper truck, which was coming out of the quarry and staged a road blockade. On receipt of information, revenue officials along with Pernambut police rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitators who said the issue was due to lorries carrying excess loads.

Officials then warned quarry staff that action would be taken if excess loads were detected and ordered loads be covered with a cloth mesh. Officials also ordered quarry owners to construct a pucca track for vehicular movement.

Following an assurance from the quarry workers that a pucca road would be laid in three months, the agitation was given up.