Loris Deaths Spark Quarry Ban Protest

Over 500 residents from Jeyangondanilai and surrounding villages in Sivaganga district blockaded the Eriyur-Melur highway for two hours on Tuesday. They are demanding an immediate ban on a proposed 100-acre private stone quarry in Jeyangondanilai village, near Singampunari. Preparations for the quarry have severely disrupted local wildlife corridors, displacing nocturnal slender lorises from their natural habitats. This displacement has resulted in at least five slender loris deaths in the past month due to vehicle accidents and stray dog attacks.

The proposed quarry site is situated adjacent to critical irrigation tanks, including Siddhamalli, Nainarkulam, and Attoorani. This proximity puts populations of deer, monitor lizards, and rabbits at severe risk. Local resistance has been ongoing, with residents passing a Grama Sabha resolution against the project last year and submitting petitions to various government departments. Despite these efforts and appeals to the District Collector, site preparation has continued.

Villagers pointed to existing quarries in nearby areas that have caused daily blasting noise, structural cracks in homes, and severe air and water pollution. Groundwater levels have dropped significantly, forcing residents to drill borewells up to 1,000 feet deep. The protesters warned of a larger, region-wide demonstration and the surrender of ration cards if authorities do not halt quarry operations within one week.