Chennai, Oct 22 (IANS): PMK founder S. Ramdoss has said his party would hold protests against the proposed sand quarries in Tamil Nadu. The state government has announced that it would open 15 new sand quarries and do away with the practice of importing sand.

Ramdoss slammed the DMK government's decision to stop imports and open new sand quarries in the state. In a statement on Thursday, the veteran leader said the state government must construct check dams every five kilometre in rivers to increase the water table. He urged the state government to continue import of sand, adding that mining sand would alter the ecological balance.

He urged the state government to improve the production of M-sand in the state so that the construction industry is not affected. The PMK leader said there is no benefit for the state government in opening new sand quarries, adding that it had earned little profit from sand quarries in the state since 2003.

Ramadoss said with the opening of new sand quarries, it would be the middlemen who would benefit from it and not the state government. He asked the DMK government whether it was necessary to destroy the environment for middlemen to earn profit.

The PMK leader said the new sand quarries would pave the way for destruction of ecology and environment, adding that the party would stage protests against proposed sand mines in the state.