Earth movers being used illegally in the Nilgiris

Udhagamandalam: Despite a standing court order, earth movers are being used in the Nilgiris, mostly in the night hours, at construction spots on the slopes. On Monday, an earthmover was found slicing a tea estate in a hillock near Vandisolai, 5 km from Coonoor. A 4,000 sqft structure is coming up in the area, though a panchayat can sanction a building only up to 1,500 sqft for residential purpose.
In November 2009, the Madras high court directed the state government to issue a circular to prevent illegal quarrying in the district and to form a special cell at the district level to review the matter every month. The court also asked the government to fix responsibility on revenue, police and forest department officials.

“It cannot be accepted that JCB, tipper lorries or Pocline are used for agricultural activities, that too in a hilly region like the Nilgiris. The buildings may be constructed or demolition may be made, but it should be done only with the permission of the competent authority like corporation or local panchayat or collector... But otherwise we find no ground made out as to why JCB, tipper lorries and Pocline should be used for agriculture or any other purpose,” the court order said.

“In the event of illegal mining, the village administrative officer, tahsildar, officer-in-charge of department of geology and mining at the district level and the police officer-in-charge of the area shall be held responsible for not taking proper action against the offenders and the concerned district collector is requested to take departmental action against them and send a report to the government,” it said.

When asked about the construction activity, Coonoor Revenue Divisional Officer Ranjith Singh told TOI: “We have seized the earth mover operating in that area. It’s owned by a Chennai-based business man. We are conducting a thorough enquiry. We will file an FIR with the police on Tuesday.”

Activists say the area where the work is going on is vulnerable to landslips.

Many cases of collapse of revetment and landslips have taken place in the hills in the past years, leaving several people dead.

In December 2016, four construction workers were buried alive and one was badly injured in a landslide in a private construction sitenear Bellattimattam, 6 km from Coonoor.