Villagers protest illegal mining in Ravi

Our Correspondent

Kathua, July 19

Angry over the continuous indifferent attitude of the state and district administration towards illegal mining in the Ravi, residents of Kerrian-Gandyal staged a protest and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot national highway at Kalibari here on Thursday.

The protesters raised slogans against the mining department and the administration, accusing them of having a deep-rooted nexus with the stone crushers operating in the area.

“The mining department has turned a blind eye towards the problems being faced by over 10,000 people living in the area. Despite repeated meetings with the officials of the district administration and the mining department, illegal miningis going on unabated in the Ravi,” alleged Mohinder Pal, president of the Ravi River Action Committee.

Violating mining norms, the mafia has dug up the river till 50 feet deep but the silence adopted by the departments concerned over the issue has raised many questions in the minds of people, he added.

Pal said the people of Kerrian and Gandyal had been facing acute shortage of water due to the illegal mining in the river. “The water level has gone down drastically but the department still claims that the water table has not been affected due to mining activity,” he added.

The protesters also appealed to Governor NN Vohra to intervene into the matter and save the river from the mining mafia.

Meanwhile, the protesters lifted the blockade after half an hour after the intervention of the police.