Plea to close stone quarry operations near Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday ordered notice to the State government on the public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to close stone quarry operations near Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district.

A Division Bench of Justices P. Velmurugan and K.K. Ramakrishnan was hearing the petition filed by S. Nickson Gnanasingh, ward member of Pappankulam village panchayat in Tirunelveli district.

The petitioner said Mangulam and Pappankulam were situated in the vicinity of Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary which had been notified as an internationally recognised Ramsar site for wetland and biodiversity conservation.

The site hosts over one lakh migratory birds every year between December and June / July including Painted Storks, Spot-billed Pelicans, Flamingos, and Bar-Headed Geese. The sanctuary and its avian visitors have, across generations, been protected by the local community as its own, with residents refraining even from bursting fire-crackers during Deepavali, he said.

However, this unique, fragile, and community-sustained ecosystem stands gravely and irreversibly imperilled by quarrying and blasting operations being carried out in proximity to the site. Special gram sabha meetings held in 2025 and 2026 unanimously passed resolutions opposing the grant of the quarrying lease. Petitions were also submitted to the District Collector. Despite the opposition, the lease was granted, he said.

The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to restrain the quarrying and blasting operations, cancel the lease and the environmental clearance and order the permanent closure of all quarrying operations near the Bird Sanctuary. The court adjourned the hearing in the case by four weeks.