The meeting, convened to consider the quarry’s environmental impact assessment, turned violent after local residents accused the administration of failing to give adequate public notice, leaving many affected villagers unaware of the hearing.
Farmers from the area warned that existing quarries have already encroached on water channels, draining the 150‑acre Thenpazhanji tank and harming agricultural productivity, and they pointed out that several approved structures – residences, temples, burial grounds and water bodies – lie well inside the legally mandated 300‑metre buffer zone.
They also highlighted safety concerns, saying heavy, uncovered trucks hauling tonnes of stone pose a danger on narrow rural roads, while alleged illegal blasting and pervasive dust threaten public health.
Activist Selvaraj claimed that statutory reports are missing from the EIA dossier and that decibel readings were manipulated to show only minimal noise levels, casting doubt on the assessment’s credibility.
Ramalingam, state coordinator of the Makkal Kalai Ilakkia Kazhagam, cited former IAS officer U. Sagayam’s findings on quarry‑related damage in the nearby Melur area and noted that the movement has produced documentaries exposing similar harm in the Kachakatti region near Vadapazhanji.
Supporters of the quarry, some of whom argued that the project would create local employment, accused the opposition of being outsiders and tried to steer the discussion toward job creation, but their pleas were drowned out by the escalating unrest.
Citing severe ecological damage and procedural flaws, the environmental coalition urged Collector Nishanth Krishna to cancel the public hearing and reject the quarry permit, warning that further approvals could exacerbate water depletion and health hazards in the district.