With unscientific and rampant illegal quarrying threatening Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and rock art in Negunurpatti and Thondur villages in Gingee block, the district administration has banned illegal blasting and quarrying of rocks within the vicinity of the two sites.
Sources said the decision was taken after the State Department of Archaeology shot off a letter to the Villupuram Collector, A. Annadurai, prevailing upon him the need to take immediate steps to protect the entire area where the inscriptions are found.
T. Jayachandran, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner of the Department of Archaeology had said that the department had received representations from local residents and the Villupuram Member of Parliament, D. Ravikumar, stating that indiscriminate quarrying in the area was threatening the existence of the rock surfaces with inscriptions.
The site at Thondur village has Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions dating back over 2,000 years, rock art sites and Jaina beds. The government was of the view that the entire area should be declared a protected area, he said.
A team led by D. Ramesh, Assistant Professor, Department of History inspected the site recently. “The site, with inscriptions, is important and proof that Tamil was a classical language. In the State, such rock art inscriptions are found only in a few places and there is every need to protect it,” he said. However, the site has been facing imminent danger due to large-scale illegal quarrying, he added.
Villupuram Collector A. Annadurai said that illegal blasting of rocks and quarrying had been banned in Negunurpatti and Thondur villages. Criminal action would be initiated against violators, he said.