Coimbatore: Despite, District Collector issuing an order to all the brick kiln chambers in the Thadagam Valley to stop functioning as they did not have proper permit, the chambers are not only running, but are also taking soil from the region.
Coimbatore: Despite, District Collector issuing an order to all the brick kiln chambers in the Thadagam Valley to stop functioning as they did not have proper permit, the chambers are not only running, but are also taking soil from the region.
Within a month after District Collector K. Rajamani ordered closure of the brick kilns on October 29, visuals of the chamber vehicles taking soil and bricks are still a common site in Thadagam.
According to sources, while some of the brick kiln chambers have stopped production after the order of the district administration, more than 70 per cent chambers are still functioning without any fear. They continued to dig soil and sell the bricks produced there against orders.
The District Collector had written to the chambers claiming that none of them have obtained persmission and further asked them to close it. The chambers received the same statements from the pollution control board, as well which said that it had not permitted even a single unit to run business.
The forest department too had written to the district administration claiming that the chambers were proving an environmental hindrance.
In addition, a report written by elephant expert and member of Asian Elephant Conservation Group Ajai Desai had claimed that the digging up of soil for chambers was one of the main reasons for elephant problem in Thadagam Valley.
However, the chamber owners have not paid any heed for any of the orders as they continue to plunder the valley of natural resources.
The issue was also raised in the farmers’ grievance meeting at the Collectorate, wherein they mentioned that the deep pits dug by the chambers were leading to ground water depletion and increased elephant problem in the region.
Reacting to the issue, Collector Rajamani said that he was closely monitoring the incident and would take necessary actions.