Plea to restore, reclaim abandoned stone quarries

Madurai: Madras high court has sought a status report from the Madurai district administration on a plea to restore and reclaim abandoned stone quarries in the district.A division bench of justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate B Stalin.The petitioner stated that several abandoned stone quarry sites in Keelavalavu, Kelayur, E Malambatty, Navinipatti, Thaniyamangalam, Saruguvalayapatti, and Thiruvathavur villages in Melur taluk, and Idayapatti and Pudhuthamaraipatti villages in Madurai north taluk, are unsafe and causing loss of human life and cattle. An RTI reply on the number of deaths caused due to unused quarries reveals that seven cases were registered by the Melur police and eight by the Keelavalavu police from 2012 to 2023.As per Rule 32 of the Granite Conservation and Development Rules 1999, every leaseholder shall undertake in a phased manner the restoration, reclamation, and rehabilitation of lands affected by prospecting or mining operations and shall complete this work before the conclusion of such operations and the abandonment of the granite quarry. However, no quarry operators followed the rule to fill up the pits that were dug out for quarrying activities.He submitted a representation to prevent any loss of human life due to the abandoned stone quarry sites in the district. Since the same is yet to be considered, the petitioner moved court.

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