Petition in High court to prevent sand mining on Tamirabarani bank

MADURAI: The Cauvery Water Resource Environment Protection Association today moved the Madras High court bench seeking a direction to prevent sand mining near the Iron Age urn burial site at Adichanallur, located on the banks of the Tamirabharani river.

Admitting the petition filed by Association President T N Mahendrakumar, Justices S Manikumar and C T Selvam posted the case for hearing on April 11.

The petitioner submitted that Adichanallur is a famous archaeological site. It was brought to light by Jagor, a German, in 1876. Later, excavations carried out by British and French archaeologists there described it as the most extensive prehistoric site of South India, the petitioner said.

The site had also been declared an ancient monument under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site and Remains Act.

The petitioner alleged that sand was being mined from a place close to the site and stored in a particular area.

Though he had written to the Public Works Secretary and Tuticorin district collector to take steps to stop mining, nothing had come about so far, he said.

The petitioner contended that mining would destroy the monuments and asked the government to intervene and stop mining activities at the site.