Sopore, Mar 03 : Scores of Residents of Hardushiva Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on wednesday protested against ban on stone quarrying in the area.
Protesters assembled at Chatkak Watlab road and sat on Dharna thus halting the traffic movement for several hours. They demanded lifting of the ban on quarrying stating that it is the sole means of livelihood for the people of the area.
They said that after the imposition of ban thousands of locals have been rendered jobless and they don’t have any other means of livelihood upon which they can feed their families.
One of the protesters, Abdul Hamid said that hundreds of laborers of the area have been left in lurch by the government after imposing ban on the Stone quarry of Hardushiva Sopore which has been the source of their livelihood from the past 60 years.
They expressed anguish and raised slogans against the authorities and the mining department and also blamed the forest department as according to them forest officials are claiming that there is threat to the environment if the quarry remains open.
The locals appealed to the LG administration and the DC Baramulla to look into the matter and lift the ban on stone quarrying as soon as possible. (KDC)
