Coimbatore : After almost two months of reported continuous mining, foresters of the Coimbatore Forest Division, on Saturday, booked cases against two men for illegally mining gravel sand from a dry river bed inside the Reserve near Kovai Kuttralam here.
Coimbatore : After almost two months of reported continuous mining, foresters of the Coimbatore Forest Division, on Saturday, booked cases against two men for illegally mining gravel sand from a dry river bed inside the Reserve near Kovai Kuttralam here.
The foresters finally initiated action after many complaints of sand being mined in the area for the construction of a check dam nearby.
The issue came to light when members of the Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT) complained to the District administration and the local Tahsildar about sand being mined in the area on Friday and being transported to the construction site 3 kms away from the area from which sand was mined.
“We noticed at least 12 truck loads being transported from the river on one day in a matter of hours. There were earth movers moving inside the Reserve and this has been going on for two months,” said P.Shanmughasundaram of CWCT.H e further claimed that despite informing the higher officials, they had failed to visit the actual spot and moved to the forest department’s office at Boluvampati, with whose permission the work was being carried out.
“Though it is a government construction, the contractor has no right to take material from the forest. He should procure from outside. This has been going on in the area for years and no proper action has been taken by the foresters. The river bed is swindled for every construction nearby,” said P.Shanmughasundaram adding that he would also raise the complaint with the Election Commission, which was in charge of the State now.
The site was inspected by the District Forest Officer D Venkatesh on Tuesday who said that it was not sand that was mined but only gravel sand. However, he acknowledged that it was an illegal act adding that the men involved were booked by the department.
The foresters finally initiated action after many complaints of sand being mined in the area for the construction of a check dam nearby.
The issue came to light when members of the Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT) complained to the District administration and the local Tahsildar about sand being mined in the area on Friday and being transported to the construction site 3 kms away from the area from which sand was mined.
“We noticed at least 12 truck loads being transported from the river on one day in a matter of hours. There were earth movers moving inside the Reserve and this has been going on for two months,” said P.Shanmughasundaram of CWCT.H e further claimed that despite informing the higher officials, they had failed to visit the actual spot and moved to the forest department’s office at Boluvampati, with whose permission the work was being carried out.
“Though it is a government construction, the contractor has no right to take material from the forest. He should procure from outside. This has been going on in the area for years and no proper action has been taken by the foresters. The river bed is swindled for every construction nearby,” said P.Shanmughasundaram adding that he would also raise the complaint with the Election Commission, which was in charge of the State now.
The site was inspected by the District Forest Officer D Venkatesh on Tuesday who said that it was not sand that was mined but only gravel sand. However, he acknowledged that it was an illegal act adding that the men involved were booked by the department.