Ryots, potters can use silt from water bodies

In keeping with the 2016 AIADMK election promise to provide potters mud with special concession from government lands, the state will now modify clause 12 of the above rules to enable them to use silt, it added. 

The rules earlier allowed only 30 cubic metre of soil to be mined by farmers without seigniorage charges being paid from land belonging to the rural development, panchayat and PWD lands. 

Under the modified rules, potters would be allowed to carry away up to 60 cubic metres mud from all water sources without charges. Stating that the modified laws would be in force in all districts except, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram, it added that the guidelines would be issued by PWD, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj departments.