Quarry workers set July 30 deadline to review court order

Source: nagalandpost.com

Quarry workers protesting at Samukhok in Imphal East district on Thursday set July 30 as deadline to review the order regarding ban on sand and stone mining in all rivers in Manipur. 

An order of the Manipur High Court passed on July 2 last has put a total ban on unauthorised stone quarry, sand mining in all rivers of the state in order to prevent river pollution. 

Reacting to the ban imposed on the mining of sand and stone in Manipur, quarry workers across the state have been pressing the court to review its order while requesting the government to give them an alternative livelihood source in the wake of the ban.

Vehicle owners and drivers engaged in the business also protested the court order, alleging that the order has thrown them out of job and robbed them of their livelihood. They demanded lifting of the ban on sand and stone mining considering the grievances being facing by them after all quarry works suspended due to the ban order. “Don’t curtail our livelihood source,” “Respect our right to live,” “We want to live,” were the slogan displayed during the protest at Samukhok in Imphal East district. Vehicle owners and drivers also took part in the protest staged under the aegis of Ching Tam Truck Drivers’ Association Manipur (CTDAM). 

Talking to reporters, CTDAM general secretary Samananda Ngangom set the July 30 deadline to review the ban order and announced that if no positive response comes up, they were ready to impose an indefinite bandh on the Imphal-Ukhrul road.

He demanded that the government must also come up with a policy giving them alternative to earn their livelihood.

Ngangom claimed that the ban on sand and stone mining has made a great impact to the life of the people who depend on quarry work as their main source of earning. Owner and drivers of the vehicles engaged in the business were also severely affected.  He claimed that most of the vehicles engaged in quarry business were bought by availing loans from the bank and said that the ban has caused hardship in repaying the loans.

The drivers became jobless as the vehicles remained park since the imposition of the ban, he added.