Check sand mining from Thenpennaiar river bed, water users’ association urges Puducherry govt.

Despite NGT ban, mining has been continuing, says the association

The Bangaru Vaickal Neeradhara Kootamaippu, a water users’ association, has urged the Puducherry government to immediately intervene and check illegal sand mining from the Thenpennaiar river bed at Soriyankuppam, Commandanmedu, Aratchikuppam and Kuruvinatham in Puducherry.

In a letter addressed to Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, the president of the water users’ association V. Chandrasekhar said that indiscriminate sand mining continued unabated despite a ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had directed the Puducherry government to constitute a monitoring committee comprising officials from the PWD, police, and Revenue Department and set up designated check-posts to check sand mining.

However, the departments had not taken the NGT order seriously and illegal sand mining was continuing during the day and night. Both the check-posts remained closed for a long time and this facilitated the sand mafia to smuggle sand threatening the fragile river sand eco-system, he said.

Mr. Chandrasekhar said that illegally mined sand was being smuggled through the graveyard and Nagammal Kovil Road. The government should immediately intervene and take action against the sand mafia before the situation worsened, he added.