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Tuticorin : Tension prevailed at the Collectorate here for a few hours on Tuesday morning, as residents of Virusampatti continued their demonstration for the second consecutive day, demanding the closure of a government-run sand quarry in the Vyppar at their village.

The agitators refused to move from the Collectorate premises, despite requests from the police and revenue officials, as they wanted the administration to immediately close the sand quarry since large quantities of sand was drawn in "violation of government norms."

The villagers also demanded that the Section 144 of the Cr.PC, imposed in the village following "unrest" in the area over "illegal" sand mining, should be withdrawn.

The Collector, R. Palaniyandi, and the Superintendent of Police, N.K. Senthamarai Kannan, held talks with the agitating villagers and political leaders.

It was only after the Collector assured that a high-level revenue team headed by a Revenue Divisional Officer would be sent to the village to study whether the functioning of the sand quarry was as per the government rules or not, the crowd pacified.

They also got an assurance from the SP that the police would recommend to the administration to consider the withdrawal of Cr P C from the region. A large contingent of police was present at the Collectorate from the morning to maintain tranquillity.