Coimbatore : Rangaraj, a resident of Chinna Thadagam here on Monday has petitioned the District Collector against the threats he has been receiving from illegal sand miners and some brick kiln owners from Thadagam area.
Coimbatore : Rangaraj, a resident of Chinna Thadagam here on Monday has petitioned the District Collector against the threats he has been receiving from illegal sand miners and some brick kiln owners from Thadagam area.
A month ago, Rangaraj had petitioned to District Collector, K. Rajamani on the illegal plundering of natural resources across the Thadagam valley here. Though no action was initiated against the petition, the petitioner Rangaraj has been getting life threats from the brick manufacturers and sand miners for being a whistleblower.
Following which, the petitioner today filed a second petition to the District Collector demanding protection from the brick kiln owners who are constantly threatening him with dire consequences.
Rangaraj, in his first petition, has stated that around 40,000 residents reside at Chinnathadagam, Veerapandi, Somayampalayam, Pannimadai panchayat areas. Due to the plundering of mineral resources, the public and the environment have been gravely affected.
While addressing the media, Rangaraj said "Many people living here are dependent on farming for their livelihood. For the last 20 years, brick kiln business is rampant in these areas to produce 4000 loads of bricks daily for which they dig the earth up to 50 to 60 feet deep".
The petitioner has also noted that "The brick manufacturers use high end machines like JCBs and Hitachi to dig up the soil, and now they have started to fetch gravel soil and sand too."
Blaming the brick manufacturers of plundering the natural resources with a sole motive of profit, he said that they are earning in crores by flouting the norms.
Adding that smoke emitted from the brick kilns cause health hazards to the residents nearby, the petitioner also pointed at the prevailing water shortage in the area due to the increased exploitation of groundwater by the indiscriminate brick-kiln manufacturers.
The petitioner also alleged that “Officials of the Tamilnadu Geology and Mines department did not initiate any steps even after submitting a batch of petitions to check the assault on the environment”.