Residents including farmers, women and traders at Nambarai village and adjoining hamlets like Mogakannavaram, Anaimallur, Kannadikuppam and Periyankuppam, near Arcot town in Ranipet passed a resolution unanimously at the gram sabha meeting, which was held to mark 79th Independence Day celebrations, on Friday against setting up of new stone quarry in the village to protect roads and water bodies.

Residents said that the existing stone quarry has been operating for the past few years in the area. Initially, functioning of the quarry was minimal with a smaller number of trips by lorries operated on the route.

In recent months, the quarry that also has a manufacturing sand unit has been operating for hours. “New stretches that were laid by the panchayat were badly damaged due to continuous movement of lorries and trucks to the quarry. Dust from the quarry gets settled on floors of many houses,” said H. Mayandi, a resident.

At present, Nambari, a border village between Vellore and Ranipet, has more than 1,500 families, who are mostly dependent on farming, cattle rearing and poultry farming. The village also has at least four ponds and water channels that remains a major water source for irrigation and domestic consumption.

Farmers said that the stone quarry has steadily increased its hours of operation for the past few months.

Excavation of stones was done round the clock, giving sleepless nights to residents.

Residents said that repeated petitions to revenue authorities in the district have not regulated the functioning of the quarry and movement of vehicles on the route. Even Sundays, loads of blue metal and sand are being transported from the quarry.

As a result, residents said that resolutions were passed at the gram sabha meeting held in the village on Friday. They said that panchayat officials informed them that a proposal for a new quarry has been mooted at the foothills of a hillock where a few existing stone quarries operate. As per norms, the civic body should provide adequate water facilities and other civic amenities to run the new quarry. “A public hearing will be held to set up a new quarry especially when there is an objection to the new facility,” said a TNPCB official.