Residents seek Tirunelveli Collector’s intervention to close down stone quarry in Thathanoothu

Residents seek Tirunelveli Collector’s intervention to close down stone quarry in Thathanoothu

Demanding the permanent closure of the stone quarry run by a private licence holder in Thathanoothu near Shankar Nagar, about 50 residents from the locality submitted a petition to the Collector on Monday.

The petitioners said that about 300 families were living in the habitation and that they worked as daily wage earners. A majority of them belonged to the SC community and said that they pleaded to the Collector to take stern action.

A few of the residents told media persons that the private stone quarry, which was operating in the area, used explosives and other dangerous chemicals. Last year, in October 2023, when they submitted a petition, the officials had intervened and directed the quarry to suspend operations.

However, again, the quarry owner, whose name was given as Shaheed, had commenced operation. There were frequent movements of heavy vehicles in the habitation and posed a high risk to the children in their colony, they said and added that they would intensify if there was no tangible intervention.