Villagers gherao PWD officials opposing govt sand quarry

As the villagers had persisted with their opposition to the upcoming sand quarry, the Revenue officials convened a peace meet in which they assured that there will be no sand quarry at the spot. However, on Friday, the officials went there to inaugurate the quarry in variance with the decision in the peace talk.

Soon the residents and activists resorted to a road roko on the Thanjavur-Ariyalur state highway, with some even rolling on the road. But, with a 100-strong police as backup, the PWD managed to take their excavators through the villages into the Kollidam’s riverbed and started dredging sand. The villagers, meanwhile, occupied burial ground sheds on the banks of the dry river in protest. The agitation continued until Additional Superintendent of Police A Sujatha, and Deputy Superintendent of Police V Mohandoss convinced the villagers to give up the protest. 

The project has been proposed on 16 hectares of land to mine at least 3,76,338 cubic metres of sand for a period of two years at a cost of Rs 2.22 crore. It had already created a scare among people in Thirumanur, Manjamedu, Thirumazhapadi, Thoothur, Elakkurichi, and Kulamanickam over a dip in groundwater levels, which will hit drinking water availability and irrigation.