HC seeks report from TN on plea alleging illegal quarries in Kovai

CHENNAI: The first bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to file its response within two weeks in a petition alleging that several illegal quarries are functioning in the Coimbatore district.

Heading the first bench along with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Acting Chief Justice T Raja passed the direction to the State government to file a report indicating whether any illegal quarries are functioning in the Coimbatore district.

According to the petitioner Gobi Krishnan, a resident of Coimbatore, 300 quarries are in operation in Kinathukadavu, Madukkarai, Thondamuthur, Pollachi, and other areas in the district but about 80 per cent of the quarries have not obtained permission from the mines department and other competent authorities.

"Even though the permissible limit to transport the gravels and M Sand from a quarry is two units, trucks are carrying upto twelve units of stones, gravels, and M Sand are transported from Coimbatore to the state of Kerala," the petitioner submitted.

Recording the submission, the ACJ asked the government pleader whether the gravel and M Sand are illegally transported to Kerala. He further questioned the legality of the quarries functioning in the Coimbatore district.

P Muthukumar, Government Pleader informed the bench that if illegal quarries are found, actions will be taken to seal them.

Therefore, the bench directed the State to file a report about the quarries' operations in the Coimbatore district and adjourned the matter by two weeks.