STATE TIMES NEWS
Kathua/Jammu: Residents of Sahar panchayat in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district launched a hunger strike on Monday against mining in a local stream.
They said they have been holding protests for the last one week, but their demand to stop mining had been ignored and this prompted them to launch the hunger strike on the banks of Sahar Khud stream.
The villagers, led by sarpanch Bholi Singh and panch Harnam Singh, met near the recently opened mining block and raised slogans against the government.
“It is unfortunate that the geology and mining department allotted the mining block without taking local residents and the panchayat into confidence,” Singh said.
He said the villagers protested against the
government’s decision from the first day, but they were sidelined.
“The villagers have decided to continue their protest and launch hunger strike to save environment and natural resources,” he said. An official, however, claimed that mining has been suspended in view of the protests. “Sahar Khud mining block was allocated by following due legal process. We have suspended the operation after opposition from the villagers. We are are trying to sort out the issue,” district mining officer Rajinder Singh said.