Trichy villagers seek closure of quarry threatening safety

Trichy: Residents of three hamlets in Amayapuram panchayat near Manapparai have raised alarm over operations at a nearby stone quarry and demanded that it be shut down. More than 100 villagers from Karumagowndampatti, Aanaiyur, and Sundakampatti presented their grievances to Trichy collector M Pradeepkumar at the weekly grievance meeting on Monday.
The villagers said in their petition that the three hamlets, with a population of more than 1,200, are significantly affected by the quarry’s operations which began in March.Stones from blasts often land dangerously close to residences and on their houses. Though they tried to meet the collector during the Lok Sabha elections, their efforts were unsuccessful.
Supporting their claims, the villagers submitted an RTI response from the deputy block development officer, indicating that several crucial locations such as residences, temples, schools, a hospital and a road lie within 610 metre of the quarry. Specific sites like residence of Selvam, a resident, and Nagammal temple are a mere 100 metre away.
“The loud blasts from the quarry pose health risks, particularly to pregnant women and children,” said a resident. The heavy truck traffic transporting stones through the village caused disturbance to them. Upon receiving the petition, the collector instructed the assistant director of mines in Trichy to visit the site, assess the situation, and submit a detailed report.