The association members said that sand mining poses danger to the environment and agriculture in the block. A number of residential colonies are located near the quarry in Thalavumalai hillock.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has a substation and a water carrying channel passes very close to the site.

Continuous quarrying might lead to landslips during the rainy season, the association pointed out.

The association urged the district administration to cancel all the licences given for quarrying sand in the hillocks and protect the fragile environment in Chennimalai block.

The association also wanted the Public Works department to remove all the encroachments in the water-carrying channels.

It claimed that a few influential persons had occupied the channels particularly those coming under the Lower Bhavani Project, a primary source of water for over 2 lakh acres of arable land. A large portion of branch channels such as the Thanneer Pandalpalayam channel fell into the hands of encroachers, the association alleged.

The Public Works Department in association with the Revenue Department should conduct a detailed survey in the district to identify the encroachments and take immediate efforts to remove them.

Members of the association submitted a petition in this regard to the district administration recently.