The Tamil Nadu government has imposed a three-month ban on transportation of rough stones and its aggregates to other States, except Puducherry and Karaikal, with immediate effect.

The government has amended the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Illegal Mining, Transportation and Storage of Minerals and Minerals Dealers Rules, 2011, by inserting a new rule 3(A) with regard to ‘Transportation of Minerals to other States’ and a Government Order (G.O.) has been issued in this regard. The Director of Geology and Mining will regulate the transport of rough stone, which includes khandas, boulders, materials such as M-sand, metal jelly, ballasts, mill stones, hand chakais, and building and road construction stones to the other States. This has been done to make sure there is sufficient supply in Tamil Nadu.

According to the G.O., Tamil Nadu has been consistently witnessing infrastructure development and urbanisation, which requires a steady supply of building and construction materials. Since large-scale movement of rough stone and aggregates to neighbouring States occurs, it has caused constraints in the availability of construction materials in the State. The present production from the operational quarries is not adequate to entirely meet the domestic demand. Also, the constant movement of these heavily-loaded trucks damage the local roads and routes, resulting in traffic congestion for commuters.

When transportation to other States occurs, it leads to enormous supply-demand gap and ‘fuels unscientific or illegal quarrying’, according to the order. This results in excessive mining, well over the authorised depths in most cases, and poses serious threat to environment and ecology.