This stone quarry has been in operation for many years. The area in which it is located used to be designated 'rural', however now that Tiruvannamalai is quickly developing, the quarry is now very much in a increasingly 'urban' area. For safety reason there is the definite possibility that the work of dynamiting and quarrying stone at this quarry will be permanently halted. I have taken this rather surrealistic picture to show Arunachala in the background and the quarry with some of its machinery, situated on a spur of the Hill, in the foreground.
Even though I think its tragic that people with decision making powers should have even sanctioned quarrying a hillock spur of Arunachala, when I stopped by to take some photographs the lads working there were at least friendly and jolly.
It gets very dirty and dangerous when the machines are in operation crushing the stones. But, as always in India, no-one bothers to wear protective clothing.
The below picture is a very good view of the extensive quarrying of the hillock.In the top left corner of this photograph is a bonnet macaque monkey colony.
The next picture is a larger one of the monkey habitat. Also just behind the colony there is a Murugan shrine that is visited by pilgrims. So its even more amazing that the authorities have not yet closed down this quarry.
As the grinding machines were not working during my visit, the area was very peaceful. One hopes soon that the area will be allowed to return permanently to its natural condition.
As I was leaving the quarry a small boy in the house next to it stopped me and asked me to take his picture. Even though he looks thin and forlorn, he is a nice boy going to a nearby school and living a quite ordinary life. Sadly now processed food is becoming more popular, one is beginning to see fat, unhealthy children. This little fellow still has his thin genes passed to him from many generations and will probably live a healthier, more disease-free life than many of his contemporaries from wealthier families who can afford to buy more expensive processed junk food.
He seemed to be a sweet little boy and I have no doubt he will now target me everytime I go by until he finally gets a copy of his photograph.
It is very sad when such loud, dangerous and polluting things are done near where people live. I visited my 10-year old niece’s school the other day and was shocked to see directly across the streets several factories, one of them Pepperidge Farms, which had big cylinders like a nuclear plant. The students report constant foul stench smell coming from that factory.
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