Transform abandoned limestone mines into waterbodies, appeal activists

CHENNAI: The abandoned limestone mines should be transformed into waterbodies and reserve forest for the environment’s sake, activists and people appealed to the Ariyalur district administration during the public hearing on Thursday.

The Ariyalur district administration, along with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), organised a public hearing for the limestone mines for the Chettinad Cements at Keezhapazhuvur in Ariyalur, and the people put forth a series of demands.

While speaking Manivel, Environment Movement president, said, there are more than 100 villages in and around the existing limestone mines at Keezhapazhuvur village, and the cement factory should come forward to provide basic amenities to the people residing across the villages under CSR programme.

He also appealed to the district administration to recommend employment for the educated youths from these villages.

“The Chettinad Cements should initiate steps to preserve the waterbodies in the region and plant trees for the benefit of the wild animals so that they might not prowl into the residential areas,” Manivel said.

While Pazhuvettayar Peravai president GE Karthikumar charged that the limestone mines had been functioning illegally, and an expert committee should make a field study and terminate the permission if they expired.

Meanwhile, environmental activist Tamil Kalam Elavarasan said, the residents from the villages around the limestone mines are affected a lot. They lead a fearful life, and the cement factory failed to fulfil their long pending demands, including basic amenities.

He also appealed to the district administration to insist that the factory transform the abandoned limestone mines into water bodies and create a reserve forest for preserving the environment.

“We have long been demanding that the cement factory initiate steps to transform the abandoned mines into water bodies, but they failed to pay attention, and so the district administration should ask the factory administration to start working on it,” Elavarasan said.

Subsequently, the public submitted a petition to Collector P Rathnasamy, who assured to forward it to the TNPCB headquarters.