Notice issued to TN govt on illegal soil extraction in Tiruvallur district

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government and the Tiruvallur district administration were told to respond to a petition filed against the removal of soil from the lake for an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) pipeline works. Hearing a PIL filed by Sarvath Kumar from Tiruvallur, the division bench comprising Justices Anita Sumanth and M Nirmal Kumar adjourned the hearing to June first week.

According to the petitioner, the lake spread over 375 acres in Perungavoor village in Ponneri Taluk is being used as a water resource for eight villages. To implement the IOC’s project through this lake, a lease had been given to GRV Minerals to take only three metres of soil from the lake but excavation has been to a depth of 15 metres. The petitioner alleged that although the State government has ordered all Collectors to form committees to prevent illegal quarrying, no such panels are formed in Tiruvallur district. He requested the court to direct the government to prevent the illegal extraction of soil from the Perugavoor lake.