Following an inquiry ordered by District Collector T.N. Hariharan into large scale mining of red earth from the ecologically significant Thadagam valley, the authorities have blocked a way leading to a few soil mining sites near Mangarai.
The way to mining sites was closed by the Revenue and the Geology and Mining Departments’ officials who inspected the place based on an order from the Collector.
“The way was blocked following a joint inspection conducted by a team on Friday. It was used for transporting red earth from at least three mining sites,” said S. Sivakumar, Coimbatore North Tahsildar.
The Collector had directed Coimbatore North Tahsildar and Joint Director of Geology and Mining to check the mining activities in the valley following a report appeared in The Hindu on Thursday.
Mr. Sivakumar said that a meeting was held for owners of brick kilns in which they were briefed about the rules to be followed while mining red earth.
“The brick kiln owners have been asked to conduct mining with due permission obtained from the Geology and Mining Department. We have also asked them not to source red earth from mining sites which are not granted the permission,” he said.
Sources, who are privy to the inquiry, said several red earth mining sites inspected by officials from the two departments were dug beyond the permissible limits. Though mining was done on patta land, some of them did not have permits from the Geology and Mining Department, they said.
One of the mining sites at Mangarai was found operating very close to a stream (now dried up) across which a check dam was constructed in the valley using MLA fund.
As per an environment impact study conducted by the Nilgiris Unit of New Delhi-based EIA Resource and Response Centre in 2013, several such streams originating from the hills of Thadagam valley form the Sanganur canal which carry rainwater to Singanallur lake and Noyyal river.
The inquiry by the joint team will cover red earth mining sites at Mangarai, 24 Veerapandi, Chinnathadagam, Periyathadagam and Nanjundapuram. The team is expected to submit its report to the Collector early this week.