Villagers threaten to go on cooking feast protest over sand quarrying

Munusamy of Poigai, a nearby village, complained, saying, “Farmers had some respite only when there was inflow into the Palar, following rains a fortnight ago. As water flowed from bank to bank, excavation of sand was impossible and so no quarrying was undertaken. However, with the water flow stopping in the Palar, anti-socials are back to their old tricks.” 

Sources alleged that nearly 30 lorry loads are sent to neighbouring Karnataka, where a three-unit sand load is sold for between Rs.30,000 and Rs.35, 000. According to them, despite filing complaints, officials have not taken any action. 

It may be recalled that sometime ago, residents of Mottur village resorted to a cooking feast agitation near Pallikonda, when officials, wanting to open a sand quarry, broke up a channel which connects the river to Saduperi, which supplies water to Vellore town. The rain which followed, stopped the quarry construction and Saduperi filled to fifty per cent of its capacity when flows in the Palar increased in quantity. Villagers have threatened to re-enact a similar cooking feast agitation again.