Four trucks with illegally mined sand impounded

On Thursday, the locals along with the local truckers association managed to lay siege to four such trucks that were carrying freshly mined sand from Karur to Coimbatore, on the Tiruchy road. The trucks had double their carrying capacity by fixing additional planks on their sides and had 39.5 units of sand. The loaded vehicles were taken to the Sulur taluk office. 

On a tip off about the illegal trade, tahsildar Palanisamy came to the main road around 7 am and tried to stop the vehicles. It is learnt that the truck drivers and their brokers who came in an escort vehicle, threatened the tahsildar when he tried to intervene. 

Sulur MLA R. Kanagaraj, who rushed to the spot came to his rescue. He said that people have been noticing it for the last three days and have been complaining. People were up in arms about it and decided to seize the vehicles and finally succeeded.

“It is shocking to know that a fine has been imposed on one of these trucks, but they are continuing with the illegal trade. These four trucks were involved in this surreptitious activity for the last three days but have been caught now. They are ready to pay the fine. But those engaged in the act should be detained under the Goondas Act,” he said.

Kanagaraj also pressed for stringent action against police personnel manning the check posts along the route in the three districts from Karur to Coimbatore and the officials from government departments concerned for turning a blind eye to the act. 

He also felt that the State Government should take over sand mining and regulate it. “This will also have a check on illegal mining that is going rampant and badly affecting our water resources in rivers,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Kanagaraj handed over his one month salary of Rs 55,000 to the family of a farmer, who committed suicide in April due to drought. Arumugam, the farmer, who owned 3 acres in Pachakavundampalayam village in Palakarai Panchayat, in Sulur Assembly segment, consumed poison on April 12 and died the next day. He appealed to other MLAs and MPs to help families of farmers who have lost much to the drought.