Demonstration condemning setting up sand quarry in Palar staged.

Palar Protection Movement, an activist group working for the cause of Palar river staged a demonstration recently, against the move to set up a sand quarry on the Palar near Pallikonda.

Protesters said that permission has been granted to set up sand quarry at Kandaneri near Pallikonda in addition to the existing sand quarries in Palar.

Protesters argued that there was already a quarry in the region before 2006 and sand in this section of Palar was dug to a depth of about 30 feet causing even coconut trees to dry and wither.

Water table in the region has gone already to abysmal depths. Setting up quarry in the region again would endanger the livelihood of the people in Kandaneri, Kavanur and Kazhanipakkam and other villages apart from affecting the drinking water source of Vellore, Malaikkodi, Anaikkattu, Kudiyatham etc. and make the region unlivable, they contended.

THE HINDU