Overlooking to prevent illegal mining, TN govt tells HC

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that it is conducting an everlasting overlook to prevent illegal mining in the sand quarries.

Gajaraj, an activist from Vellore has filed a Public interest litigation in Madras High Court against excessive sand mining in violation of regulations at Arumparuthi, Perumugai Panchayat, Vellore.

"The groundwater level is overwhelmed due to the sand mining for more than 1 metre deep with the pocline machines," the PIL said.

And, no action has been taken nonetheless the petitioner complained to the departmental authorities in this regard.

He also said in the petition that a committee should be set up and an investigation should be conducted to take action against the quarries that violate the regulations and extract recrementitious sand.

When the PIL came for hearing before Acting Chief Justice T Raja and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, the Public Prosecutor appearing for the state government informed the court that the GO has been issued pretentious multitudinous conditions for mining in sand quarries and the G.O. will be strictly followed and everlasting overlook will be done to prevent felonious sand mining in the quarries.

Accepting this, the bench has ordered the government to file a report and the hearing is adjourned to next Monday.