Tamil Nadu wakes up to granite plunder

More than the loss thousands of crores of rupees to the state exchequer, granite quarrying in Madurai District has caused irreparable damage to the ecology and massive destruction of the environment. It is distressing to note that the livelihood nearly 10,000 agricultural households have been destroyed due to encroachment of agricultural land, destruction of water bodies and   irrigation canals, besides the devastation of many hillocks that serve as the source for the water bodies in the region. This commentator was rudely shocked to see the total destruction of farming in about 30,000 acres.  Moreover, more than 20 water bodies (irrigation tanks) have vanished due to total defacement and destruction. The whole area looks like a locally completely destroyed due to bombing in a war. Most dastardly act is the destruction of all the hillocks that used to be not only the source of water for the tanks but also a beautiful location.  It is reported that water canals in the entire region have disappeared with granite firms constructing their factories, stock yards and polishing units on them. The affected areas are also those irrigated by canals fed by rivers in the region such as Periyar and Vaigai. What is more  even land, protected by the Archaeology Survey of India for the presence of ancient Jain rock monuments, have also been blasted for granite blocks.  All these destruction of land, tanks, canals and hillocks started with irrational granting of twenty-year mining leases granted to firms for quarrying granite on patta as well as government land through tender-com-actions. The situation became severe due to encroachment on government land by these firms with the connivance of corrupt officials. The government should take severe action against the firms that destroyed the areas and against the officials  who colluded with them  by taking bribery.

 Dr.C.Murukadas,  The Economic Times, Oct. 2,2012