Protest against six new stone crushers

Palampur, May 7

Villagers of Halehar panchayat adjoining Jaisinghpur town today protested against the installation of six new stone crushers in Halehar khud in gross violation of rules, particularly in residential areas. They announced to begin an agitation against illegal mining going on in the Halehar khud.

Hundreds of villagers assembled on the premises of a local temple and unanimously decided that they would not allow any crusher in their village. The villagers said stone crushers already functional in the village had resulted in various problems, particularly to the elderly people. They complained of chest infections, eye ailments and tuberculosis because of the large-scale pollutants emitted by the stone crushers.

Addressing mediapersons, Halehar panchayat Pardhan Kamaljit Singh, along with other villagers, said a mahapanchayat would be held on May 10 after which a memorandum would be submitted to CM Sukhvinder Sukhu through the Jaisinghpur SDM. They also warned local leaders against supporting the mining mafia.

They said they would fight till the end. The villagers alleged that despite ban, large-scale mining was going on unabated in the Halehar khud. “The mining mafia has pressed into service JCB machines, tractor-trailers and earthmovers. As the Police and Mining Departments have failed to act, we’ve decided to seize them,” they added.

The protesters further said roads, irrigation channels, cremation grounds and village pastures had been badly damaged because of the continuous illegal mining on government as well as private land. The PWD, IPH, Revenue and Forest Departments, which had suffered maximum damage to their property, had become mute spectators and failed to act against the culprits, they alleged.