Chennai, Sep 10 (IANS): Makkal Needhi Maiam president and South Indian Superstar, Kamal Haasan has called upon the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a detailed probe into the illegal sand mining at the mouth of Cooum river which is near the Marina beach in the state capital Chennai.

The superstar in a statement on Friday said that illegal sand mining has raised several concerns including the theft of sand, inaction of the government machinery, continuation of the illegal sand mining operations despite a change in government in the state and environment degradation.

Haasan said that the sand at the mouth of Cooum river is generally sea sand as it was near Marina beach. He said that sea sand was not used for construction purposes and that those who sell this sand were doing a grave injustice to the construction industry.

He said that the buildings constructed with sea sand would fall down. The state government and police must probe where this sand was being sold and who the end-users were.

Kamal Haasan said that the lives of people who stay in the buildings constructed by using this sand will be in danger as these buildings can collapse any time.

He urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to immediately act and conduct a detailed probe to apprehend those responsible for this.