After a failed 42-day long protest against the installation of stone crushers in the Maletha gram sabha, the villagers have restarted their protest to demand a government order against the usage of stone crushers in the agriculturally-rich region.
On August 13 this year, the villagers started protesting against the installation of four stone crushers in the Maletha gram sabha in Tehri district. The protest continued for 42 days and it ended when Tehri District Magistrate Yugal Kishore Pant gave orders for the stone crushers to stop operations in the area.
However, the stone crusher operators approached the Nainital High Court and in a recent order the High Court dismissed the District Magistrate’s orders.
“The Court said that the permission for the stone crushers to operate was given by the State government, so the District Magistrate does not have the authority to stop the work,” Mr. Pant said.
On December 22, the villagers again began their protest against the operation of stone crushers in their gram sabha. Head of the Maletha gram sabha Surveer Singh Bisht said: “The land was barren but it was made agriculturally productive by the efforts of Madho Singh Bhandari in the 16th century. The dust from stone crushers would destroy agriculture which is an important source of income here.”
Mr. Bisht said the area was of immense historic importance and the crushers would destroy it. “There is also fear of health hazards from the dust that the crushers will produce,” he said.
Villagers fear the eventual migration of the population of about 9 villages in three gram sabhas that would be affected by the crushers.
Sameer Raturi of the Himalaya Bachao Aandolan, which is supporting the protest said: “We have decided to go on an indefinite fast if the State government does not order for cancellation of operation of stone crushers within two weeks.”
A recent High Court order dismissed the District Magistrate’s order saying it was not his prerogative