Plea to close stone quarry operations near Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary
The Madras High Court has ordered the state government to respond to a petition seeking the closure of stone quarries near the Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary. Residents argue that blasting operations threaten the fragile ecosystem of this internationally recognized Ramsar site.
Why it matters
This case underscores the ongoing conflict between industrial development and the preservation of critical biodiversity hotspots.
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice to the State government on the public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to close stone quarry operations near Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district.
A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and K.K. Ramakrishnan was hearing the petition filed by S. Nickson Gnanasingh, ward member of Pappankulam village panchayat in Tirunelveli district.
The petitioner said Mangulam and Pappankulam were situated in the vicinity of Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary which had been notified as an internationally recognised Ramsar site for wetland and biodiversity conservation.
The site hosts over one lakh migratory birds every year between December and June / July including Painted Storks, Spot-billed Pelicans, Flamingos, and Bar-Headed Geese. The sanctuary and its avian visitors have, across generations, been protected by the local community as its own, with residents refraining even from bursting fire-crackers during Deepavali, he said.
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