The Tamil Nadu government has imposed a three-month ban on the transportation of rough stone and its aggregates to other States, except the Union Territory of Puducherry and the Karaikal district, with immediate effect, citing concerns over the availability of construction materials within the State, illegal quarrying, environmental degradation and road safety, as reported in The Hindu.
The order, issued by Director of Geology and Mining Dr. T. Prabhushankar on July 27, follows an amendment to the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Minerals Dealers Rules, 2011. The amendment inserts a new Rule 3(A), empowering the Director of Geology and Mining to regulate the transportation of minerals to other States, including the authority to impose a temporary ban.
Under the new provision, the Director has prohibited the transportation of rough stone and its aggregates, including khandas, boulders, size-reduced (broken or crushed) stone materials, M-sand, metal jelly, ballasts, mill stones, hand chakais, and building and road construction stones, to neighbouring States for a period of three months. The ban does not apply to Puducherry and Karaikal.
The order states that the measure has been taken as a precautionary step to ensure adequate availability of construction materials within Tamil Nadu and to prevent illegal mining and transportation of minerals.
Reasons Cited for the Ban
According to the government, a large quantity of rough stone and aggregates produced in Tamil Nadu is being transported to neighbouring States, affecting domestic availability.
The order notes that Tamil Nadu is witnessing rapid infrastructure development and urbanisation, resulting in increasing demand for building and construction materials. However, economically viable rough stone deposits are available only in a limited number of districts. It points out that significant mineral-bearing areas in districts such as Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Theni, Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Krishnagiri fall within the Eco-Sensitive Zones of the Western Ghats, limiting the scope for expanding quarrying operations.
The government further states that the current production from operational quarries is insufficient to fully meet the growing domestic demand arising from infrastructure, housing and industrial development projects.
The order also highlights the impact of large-scale transportation of construction aggregates to neighbouring States, stating that it has created an artificial supply-demand imbalance within Tamil Nadu and contributed to inflation in the prices of construction materials, affecting both public and private infrastructure projects.
It also notes that rough stone is not a scarce mineral in neighbouring States such as Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Concerns Over Roads, Illegal Quarrying and Environment
The government has also cited damage to public infrastructure as one of the reasons for imposing the restriction.
According to the order, the continuous movement of heavily loaded trucks, including multi-axle vehicles carrying rough stone, has caused severe damage to local roads. Many roads leading to border checkpoints are narrow and not designed to handle such heavy freight traffic, resulting in congestion for local commuters.
The order further states that the movement of heavy vehicles on narrow roads has contributed to an increase in road accidents, many of which have proved fatal.
Another concern highlighted by the government is the growth of illegal quarrying. It states that the increasing demand-supply gap has fuelled unscientific and illegal quarrying, storage and transportation of stone and aggregates, leading to excessive mining beyond permitted depths in many cases.
According to the order, such practices pose a serious threat to the environment and ecology of the State.
Strict Enforcement Ordered
The Director of Geology and Mining has directed District Collectors and Superintendents of Police in all districts bordering neighbouring States to maintain strict vigilance and coordinate with the concerned departments to ensure compliance with the temporary ban.
Officials have also been instructed to create public awareness about the restriction and enforce the ban strictly.
The order warns that any violation of the three-month ban will attract stringent action under the existing provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Minerals Dealers Rules, 2011, and other applicable laws.
TVK-led Tamil Nadu government bans mineral transportation/smuggling to Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for three months.
\\And Whereas, the constant movement of heavily loaded trucks including multi-axle vehicles severely damage local roads and many routes leading to… pic.twitter.com/uMEmMA9HyM
— Thinakaran Rajamani (@thinak_) July 27, 2026
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