On 27 January 2025, the Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners’ Federation threatened to organize a procession to meet the Governor if their concerns about the smuggling of minerals to Karnataka through Hosur are not addressed.
S. Yuvaraj, the president of the federation, told reporters that around 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of resources, including gravel, m-sand, and wet-mix, are being illegally transported to Karnataka every day via Hosur. Despite raising the issue since 2020, he claimed that the government has taken no action. “The government has shown no willingness to intervene,” he said.
Yuvaraj also highlighted that many quarries in Krishnagiri district are owned by individuals from both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, leading to significant losses for the Tamil Nadu government. “If the government continues to ignore this, the mountains along the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border could be depleted within a few years,” he warned.
He pointed out that the 38 stone crushers in Krishnagiri produce between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of m-sand daily. He raised concerns over the ease with which illegal transportation continues, questioning how officials from various departments, including police and revenue, can allow the illegal movement of minerals in 4,000 lorries every day.
Yuvaraj also accused the manual issuance of transit passes for enabling widespread corruption, claiming that the 500 transit passes issued daily were being used to facilitate the smuggling operations.
“We have appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene and put an end to the illegal mining and smuggling activities,” Yuvaraj stated. He called for the establishment of Lokayukta in at least 10 districts to hold officials accountable for failing to address the illegal mining complaints. “If the government does not act, we will organize a procession to meet the Governor in February to press for action,” he added.
In a recent report by Vikatan, lorry owners shared the growing challenges they face amidst ongoing mineral smuggling and illegal mining activities. S. Yuvaraj, the president of the federation, expressed frustration over the treatment of quarry owners, stating that while the individuals responsible for mineral theft are not jailed, but lorry drivers and their owners are also being incarcerated. “It was only after Enforcement Directorate raids on sand theft the mining completely stopped. For the past year, the construction industry has mainly relied on M-sand, which is cheaper and preferred by contractors. The issue lies in the production of M-sand,” he explained.
He continued by highlighting the permissions granted to 506 individuals to produce M-sand, with operations running through nearly 4,000 crushers until June 2021. However, these permissions were never renewed, yet many crushers continue to operate, with an additional 1,000 crushers now running without authorization. When questioned, the owners claim to have approval from the Pollution Control Board, but the Board only issues permits related to pollution control, not mining. The lorry owner pointed out that these operations lack proper legal approval, and no one knows the extent of mountain destruction, as only handwritten bills are issued. He further stressed the need for a computerized billing system, similar to other states, to track mining activities and ensure accountability.
“Despite repeated requests, the government has ignored calls for a more transparent system. If computerized bills were in place, it would be easier to monitor illegal mining beyond the approved limits,” the lorry owner argued. He added that when honest officials attempt to investigate, they are often transferred. “As soon as this (DMK) government takes office, more mountains are auctioned off, and destruction escalates. Crushers have machines capable of processing 500-1,000 tons of M-sand per hour, which means even more mountains are being mined.”
The issue is most severe in regions like Hosur, Krishnagiri, and Tirunelveli. “Across Tamil Nadu, 120-130 hills are being destroyed for M-sand, with 70 located in Hosur alone. This area doesn’t even have enough construction activity to justify such extensive mining,” the federation head lamented. The extracted M-sand is transported to Karnataka, with 4,000 truckloads leaving daily, each carrying 30-50 tons. Despite the widespread illegal activity, lorry owners are still required to pay fees and taxes for their loads.
The report also touched on a legal contradiction regarding ‘Transit Passes’. “The court has stated that a ‘Transit Pass’ isn’t required for transporting finished products. But whenever there’s an issue at the quarry, our trucks are the first to be seized. We are charged with theft and smuggling for not having a ‘Transit Pass,’” the lorry owner federation head said. He cited the case of eight trucks seized after the murder of a social activist in Pudukkottai, where the truck owners were falsely charged with theft and sent to jail, while no action was taken against the quarry owners responsible for the illegal activities.
To alleviate these issues, the lorry owners have requested an electronic tracking system, such as an e-way pass, to document and monitor mineral extraction and transportation. “With a computerized system, we could easily track how much resource is being extracted and exported, but the authorities are not taking action,” they said. The lorry owners also pointed out that many local politicians are involved in illegal mining operations, which explains the lack of progress on the issue. “If nothing is done soon, the resources in Hosur and Krishnagiri will be completely exhausted,” they warned.
(With inputs from DT Next & Vikatan)
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