Activists and farmers oppose new stone quarry at Thenpazhanji

A public hearing for a proposed rough stone and gravel quarry in Thenpazhanji village turned chaotic on Wednesday, as intense opposition from farmers and environmentalists clashed with support for the project.

Residents criticised the administration, saying inadequate public notice had kept most of the affected villagers away.

Farmers said existing quarries had already encroached on water channels, draining the 150-acre Thenpazhanji tank and damaging local agriculture.

They pointed out that approved residences, temples, burial grounds and waterbodies were located well within the mandatory 300-metre buffer zone, in violation of the norms.

They also highlighted that heavy, uncovered trucks carrying tonnes of material posed a danger on rural roads, while alleged illegal blasting and rampant dust pollution threatened public health.

Further, activist Selvaraj said they had exposed missing statutory reports and manipulated decibel data in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which allegedly showed minimal noise levels.