Coimbatore: Surrounded by Western ghats, the rich flora and fauna, once attracted the scientist and people from far off places to stay and study at the rustic villages and tribal hamlets situated on both sides of the Annaikatti road in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Surrounded by Western ghats, the rich flora and fauna, once attracted the scientist and people from far off places to stay and study at the rustic villages and tribal hamlets situated on both sides of the Annaikatti road in Coimbatore.
The area offered fresh air, shrubs and dense tree canopies, through which even light may not penetrate, supporting several wild life and endemic species of plants and animals. People were drawn here with a hope to get peace.
However, it’s no more the same place. Instead, the trees have been cut down, the shrubs removed, while the flora and fauna have been destroyed. The fresh air is polluted with the dust and smoke that chokes the lungs, turning even the clear blue sky into black. Thanks to the mushrooming of several illegal brick kilns over a decade in five gram panchayats incluing Pannimadai, Nanjundapuram, Thadagam, Veerapandipudur, Somyamplayam, the area surrounding the Western Ghats, which has received UNESCO world heritage status, has been destroyed beyond imagination.
Despite strong protest from activist and people, there has been a steady growth of brick kiln here. Apparently, the state government and district authorities have become a partner to this growth by remaining a mute spectator. Though officials continue to harp that action has been taken, a visit to the Mangarai and areas in few other panchayat by the Simplicty team on Wednesday to check the fact, found that the digging of earth using earth movers and vehicles moving soil in huge quantity continue indiscriminately. This despite a police and forest check post situated at Mangarai.
Greed for extracting earth has gone to such an extent that overnight private land have turned into gorge, with over 100 feet of earth being dug and removed using earthmovers.
“I was shocked when I found that my land has been completely dug upto 80 feet without any permission, said a land owner, who owns 40 acres of land near Mangarai. All the adjoining land has been dug using earthmover and the soil has been carried to these brick kilns, he accused.
Social activist T M S Rajendran, a resident of Chinna Thadagam, who has been voicing against the brick kiln said that the authorities have done little or nothing to stop the illegal brick kilns that has destroyed the areas adjoining the forest and in some places even the hills in western ghat.
“In the absence of proper monitoring the earth has been dug for over 120 feet in several places using earth movers. However, the authorities have failed to even question such illegal acitivities,” he said. All this is happening only because they have the backing of politicians and authorities, who are turning a blind eye in the issue, he rue.
Rajendran claimed that most of the brick kilns are in five panchayat and nearly 100 acres of land, which include Nanjai, Punjai, Panchami and tribal settlement have been used for digging the earth.
As per our records there are about 200 brick chambers, operating here. Every day about a lakh brick are produced and each truck load carrying about 300 bricks, each brick costing from Rs. 2 to Rs. 10, is being transported to various places. No taxes are being paid and none of them have received any kind of approval to operate.
“Every day people are dying or suffering various health problems caused due to substances used for making the bricks. No respite has come from district authorities and we are planning to approach the court,” he added.
Another social activist G P N Joshua, working closely with tribal, said that the elephant corridor areas have been completely destroyed in Thadagam valley. The brick kiln have destroyed the water source for wild animals. Continuous man animal conflict has become a common feature in the area as a result of it.
While villagers dug bore for about 400 feet for water, these chambers are digging upto 1200 feets and drawing the water for their purposes. If no immediate steps are taken it will end up in huge catastrophe, he warned.
Before these land were cultivated by farmers. There was huge production of food grains, pulses and vegetable. However, all these land were subsequently given way to brick kilns, as it generated more profit, said Vellingiri, a tribal at Mangarai settlement area. He said people too have become depended on these chambers for work as the agriculture has been destroyed.
“The digging has affected many of us who are still depended on cattle’s or worked in agriculture land. We have lost our grazing areas and are forced to go for other works. There is shortage of water as well. But who will listen to our pleas,” he laments.
Environmentalist K Mohanraj, said that most of these villages come under Hill Area Conservation Authority and there are eco sensitive area in Veerapandipudur, which enforce getting permission and clearance from various department and ministry of environment respectively.
Most of these brick kilns may not have the approval and are working in violation of the rules and regulations. The government should form a committee and conduct a cumulative environment impact assessment and should fine them heavily for damaging the environment and creating health issues, he added.
Previous Coverage :
22 August 2018
28 May 2019