CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the member secretary, State-level Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Authority in Saidapet, to inspect a sand mining quarry site on the Palar river bed in Vanivedu in Vellore district and find out whether public wells are situated within the prohibited 500 metres from the quarry site.
The first bench of Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice MM Sundresh gave the direction while disposing of a PIL from K Kumar of Walajahpettai praying for a direction to the Central Vigilance Commissioner and the CBI to conduct an inquiry on his complaint dated December 21, 2013 against the State-owned PWD for its alleged illegal mining in the Palar river bed. He contended that mining activities had been permitted contrary to the norms, which in turn affected the wells from which water was drawn by residents of the area. The private persons had furnished false information to obtain mining lease by stating that there were no wells within the prohibited area.
The bench had called upon the EIA Authority to state as to what action had been taken on petitioner’s complaint. It replied that all procedures had been followed as envisaged in the Rules and Act and the matter was being looked into by the Regional Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department/Executive Engineer of the PWD, Upper Palar Basin Division in Vellore. On receipt of reports from them, further action would be taken, it added. Advocate-General AL Somayaji submitted that he had inspected the quarry site and found that the wells were beyond the prohibited area ie., being 540 metres. The bench said that this stand showed there were factual disputes in terms of distance of the existing wells.
