Bagh Kulja villagers protest new stone crushers

Residents of Bagh Kulja Panchayat in Jaisinghpur subdivision today staged a protest against the government’s decision to permit new stone crushers in their area, alleging violation of rules, especially concerning residential zones. The villagers asserted that the panchayat had never issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the crusher installation, and the matter related to the NOC is already under police investigation.

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The angry villagers announced plans to launch an agitation against the installation of new stone crushers and the granting of mining leases. They stated they would not allow further environmental degradation in an area already reeling from reckless, illegal, and unscientific mining activities.

Addressing the media, Dhrub Chaudhary and Subhash Chand said the entire village had unanimously resolved not to permit any new crusher. They emphasised that the proposed crusher site is largely village-owned land, with only a small portion sold. Setting up a crusher there would destroy local water channels crucial for irrigation and drinking purposes.

The villagers announced that a mahapanchayat would be held next week, following which a memorandum would be submitted to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu through the Jaisinghpur SDM, demanding an immediate halt to the new stone crushers. Protesters also warned local political leaders against supporting the mining mafia.

Appealing to the Himachal Pradesh High Court, villagers urged the court to intervene and dispatch a team of geological experts to inspect the Jaisinghpur area. They pointed out that the existing crushers have already caused severe health issues among residents, particularly the elderly, including chest infections, eye ailments, tuberculosis, and other pulmonary diseases, owing to widespread air pollution.

“We will fight till the end. The mining mafia has unleashed JCBs, tractor-trailers, and earth movers without any administrative action,” said Dhrub Chaudhary. He added that illegal mining had severely damaged roads, irrigation channels, water treatment plants, cremation grounds, and village pastures in the area.

Villagers also alleged that the stone crusher business in Jaisinghpur has become a “gold mine” for the mining mafia. They claimed most crushers neither pay royalty nor GST, leading to a huge loss to the state exchequer. Experts noted that while the cost of crushing stone is around Rs 7 per CFT, it is sold at Rs 25–30 per CFT in the market. Due to a lack of regulatory checks and rampant corruption within the mining department, large-scale pilferage of revenue continues unabated.