The construction of limestone mining project by UltraTech Cement Company in the catchment area of Pendra Van reservoir in Bangoli village of Tilda block of Raipur district is being objected by the public. The villagers have been holding unauthorised Gram Sabhas to safeguard the reservoir and to raise protest against the Water Resources Department’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) given for the mining project.
The general meetings held in Baraunda, Bangoli and Kurra villages drew participation of a large number of villagers, prominent among them included the local public representatives and members of the Pendra Van Reservoir Save Farmers’ Struggle Committee on Thursday.
The villagers strongly condemned the state government’s decision in the meetings to issue NOC for the third time. They said that the determination was biased in favour of the mining company, and without any significant protests from Gram Sabhas or local people.
The villagers were also upset with the government-appointed high-level committee’s recommendations, made under a court order. They said the committee had given preferential treatment in approving the mining in favour of the company without consulting farmers and public representatives.
There was also plenty of criticism directed toward committee members and officials that may have been involved with issuing the NOC. At that meeting, it was decided that the villagers would soon “ghero” the office of Water Resources Department in Tilda.
The protest movement is to become more active. On October 31, General meeting will be conducted in Saragaon, Nilja and Khona villages. They will be discussing the next actions residents will take and how to bring the movement against the mining project and honor the Pendra Van reservoir into further strength.
Meetings were attended by former MLA Devji Bhai Patel, committee patron Udhoram Verma, Alok Shukla, President Anil Nayak, secretary Ghanshyam Verma, district member Kunjalal Verma and many other members of the Panchayat from the village.
Uttam Verma, Neelu Verma, Bhubaneswar Khunte, Indra Kurre, Savita Chandrakar, Hemlata Chandrakar and other villagers and community representatives were part of the other participants.