The frequent traffic snarls and accidents being reportedly caused by lorries carrying stones, M-sand and blue metal to Kerala has revived public anger again.

Local people are planning to either block the rural roads being used by the heavy trucks to take the minerals or lay siege to the Puliyarai checkpost through which the lorries cross to reach the neighbouring State.

The uncontrolled movement of mineral-laden lorries to neighbouring Kerala was regulated to some extent after the election notification as the official machinery feared that the people’s anger against the plundering of natural resources in Tenkasi district and the reckless manoeuvring of heavy trucks would escalate against the ruling party ahead of polling.

Once the election results were declared, it is business as usual in the district with the trucks overloaded with mineral hitting the roads to reach their destinations in the other side of the Western Ghats.

“Besides causing accidents, the round the clock movement of the mineral-laden lorries to Kerala, are triggering serious traffic snarl along this busy road connecting Tenkasi and Kollam,” says former MLA K. Ravi Arunan, who is also the president of Iyarkkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam (Natural Resources Conservation Committee) fighting uncontrolled quarrying of mineral wealth in the district.

The public say that the mineral-laden lorries proceeding to Kerala are causing traffic jam for about 4 Km from Puliyarai to Kottaivaasal almost everyday. The problem worsened recently when a heavy vehicle broke-down at ‘S’ Bend at Puliyarai.

“While the mineral-laden lorries are lined-up on the left side of this 2-lane connecting Tenkasi and Kerala, the trucks proceeding towards the quarries after emptying the minerals in Kerala are occupying the right side of the road. Travellers going to Thiruvananthapuram airport and patients going for treatment to Kerala are badly affected due to this problem,” says S. Jameen, general secretary of the Iyarkkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam, who has filed a few cases against plundering of minerals in Tenkasi district.

After the accidents being caused by these lorries are on the rise, the Iyarkkai Vala Paathukaappu Sangam has proposed organise a meeting at Puliyarai on Thursday (May 7) to give final shape to their agitation plan against this problem.

“As the Kanniyakumari District Police have imposed restrictions on the movement of these mineral-laden lorries along the Thiruvananthapuram Highway (connecting Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram), the trucks are using Tenkasi to reach Kerala since there is no restriction or regulation in our district. Hence, we’ve decided to either stage road roko in the village roads being used by these lorries to take minerals from the quarries or lay siege to the Puliyarai checkpost,” says Mr. Jameen.

District Collector A.K. Kamal Kishore said he had held a meeting with senior police officers of the district and the officials from other associated departments to streamline the transportation of minerals in lorries to Kerala.

“Accordingly, necessary steps are being put in place to solve this crisis,” Mr. Kamal Kishore said.