Members of the Palar Protection Coordination Committee, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts took out a rally from Murugan Temple in Kagitha Pattarai to the Collectorate here and staged a demonstration demanding among things serious steps to protect the river from pollution and indiscriminate sand mining.
The demonstrators raised slogans demanding the closure of the official sand quarries which led to the commercial sale of sand. They said this led to the depletion of the groundwater resources of the river.
They wanted a ban on use of chromium and toxic chemicals in the tanning processes to prevent pollution of the river. They also sought steps to a prevent dumping of municipal sewage and garbage in the river.
The protesters demanded immediate implementation of Thenpennai-Palar River Link Project and wanted Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts declared as drought-affected.
