Coimbatore: Two days after the Irula tribals living in and around Anaikatti alerted senior Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) officials that local officials were refusing to disconnect electricity to illegal brick kilns, three teams consisting of 36 engineers landed in the valley and disconnected power to 60 kilns on Wednesday.
An official said they will disconnect electricity to all the 187 kilns within Friday evening as per the Coimbatore collector’s order issued on March 17. “We will disconnect electricity supply to the remaining kilns in villages including Nanjundapuram, Thadagam, Somaiyampalayam and Veerapandi over the next two days.”
Villagers in Thadagam said a team of officials, who tried to disconnect power on Tuesday were met with resistance and returned on Wednesday with police personnel. There are 15 kilns in Nanjundapuram, 30 in Pannimadai, 92 across Thadagam and 62 across Veerapandi villages.
Local residents and tribals welcomed the sealing drive. They said even sealed kilns were functioning at night.
The Coimbatore District Irular Samooga Nala Sangam president N Mallan said that kilns switch on floodlights at night, disturbing wild animals. “This will prompt animals to move to tribal villages and roads, leading to man-animal conflict. The kilns are making a lot of noise by using heavy machinery to move equipment, red soil and structures,” he said.