Residents of Poosampatti, Kachaikatti, and Vadipatti in the district on Monday submitted a petition to authorities demanding strict action against stone quarries operating in violation of government rules.According to the petition, multiple stone quarries operating around Kachaikatti village ignored official guidelines. Around 40-50 lorries and over 150 heavy vehicles transported the stones from the sites daily. Since the vehicles operated round the clock, the constant movement had severely disrupted local life.The heavy traffic kicked up massive clouds of dust on the roads, creating an environment where residents faced serious health concerns including breathing and respiratory issues. Children, the elderly, and vulnerable patients were especially hard hit.Gnanasekaran, a social activist and one of the petitioners, said that digging far below the legally permitted excavation depths was destroying the area’s natural water channels and putting local groundwater supplies and regional agriculture at serious risk.The public wanted the district administration, Department of Geology and Mining, Revenue Department, and Pollution Control Board to carry out joint, on-site inspections. They wanted the authorities to thoroughly check quarry licences, excavation depths, volume of minerals being transported, and movement of heavy vehicles. If violations were uncovered during the inspections, strict legal action must be taken against the quarry operators, and their environmentally damaging activities must be stopped immediately.“The primary demand of the petition is for the district administration to take proper action to ensure that public livelihoods, health, road safety, and natural resources are protected from the impact of the quarry operations,” Mr. Gnanasekaran added. Published - August 31, 2026 07:50 pm IST