Environmentalists, civil activists, and residents strongly object to the proposed mining activities by the Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation at Pudupalayam village in Ariyalur district.
A large number of residents from Nerijikorai, Nayakkarpalayam, Veliprinjiam, Kattuprinjiam and Pudupalayam and activists participated in the public hearing held by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to seek opinion on allowing the Tamil Nadu Cement Corporation to take up limestone mining on about 240 acres for its cement factory here.
Revenue Divisional Officer of Ariyalur Ramakrishnan presided over the meeting in the presence of officials of the TNPCB.
While local residents expressed apprehensions over the ill-effects of the limestone mining activities by the cement factories in Ariyalur and its adjoining villages, others pointed out the possible environmental damages.
Lack of transparency alleged
R.S. Mugilan of the Tamil Nadu Environmental Protection Movement said the TNPCB, which was supposed to make public all documents related to the proposed mining activities, had failed to do so. Only a few documents were made public. Several documents were wilfully concealed. Moreover, it released the Environment Impact Assessment report based on data such as air and water quality related to the villages. However, the inputs of the report were taken in 2020. It should have released the baseline data taken recently. No residential colonies should be situated less than 100 metres from the mining site. However, many houses were located within 100 metres of the proposed mining sites. Hence, permission should not be given for the mining proposal.
The TNPCB should have ensured transparency in public hearing. But it had violated many rules and regulations on conducting the meeting, Mr. Mugilan said.
M. Rajalingam of Kattuprinjiam said that about 30 years had passed since they gave land to the Tancem cement factory But many landowners had not yet been paid compensation. They were promised jobs at the factory. But some were engaged only as temporary workers.
Ariyamuthu of Veliprinjiam said that the functioning of the cement factory and mining activities had caused air and water pollution. The people were forced to inhale polluted air that had caused several diseases.