Sand Truck Owners Announce Indefinite Protest in Tamil Nadu Over Quarry Closures

The Tamil Nadu Sand Owners Federation and the Tamil Nadu Sand Lorry Owners Association have announced an indefinite protest, demanding the reopening of sand quarries across the state. The decision was taken during a joint consultative meeting held in Trichy on Monday.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Federation representatives Yuvraj and Selvarajamani said the protest will begin with a state-wide agitation on May 23. The groups are pushing back against the current sand quarrying policies, which they say have crippled their livelihoods and the broader construction industry.

“The government has issued 30-year permits for some quarries, but many others are still restricted to just five years. We cannot remain passive while our industry suffers,” Selvarajamani, the federation’s state president, said.

Truck operators are also demanding that the state reduce the price of sand, particularly e-sand (electronic sand sales), which they claim remains expensive despite promises of price cuts. “There was a commitment to reduce e-sand prices by ₹1,000 per unit, but no such reduction has happened so far,” Yuvraj added.

The federations are also calling on the government to take full control of M-Sand (manufactured sand) sales and to strictly monitor excess sand extraction from quarries beyond permitted limits.

The ongoing quarry shutdowns have caused widespread disruption in the construction sector. According to the associations, the state is losing nearly ₹10 crore per day due to halted sand transport and stalled construction work. Around 55,000 lorry drivers, owners, and allied workers are directly impacted by the shutdown, along with broader supply chains for materials like wire and cement.

“If the government fails to act, this crisis will only deepen, hitting both livelihoods and infrastructure projects,” the federations warned.

With no resolution in sight, sand truck owners say their struggle will continue indefinitely until the government reopens quarries and addresses their demands.