MANSEHRA: The residents of Oghi tehsil on Sunday decided not to allow the excavation of minerals located in their villages, saying that large-scale blasting activities had deprived them of water and other natural resources over and beneath the ground.
“Our delegation also met the assistant commissioner, deputy superintendent of police, and station house officer of the concerned police station and conveyed that we will not allow any kind of granite or other mineral excavation from our villages. Anyone attempting to challenge our decision will be responsible for any law and order situation,” Munir Tanoli, a former tehsil councillor of Oghi, told reporters.
A group of people from various villages, including Neel Batala, Chaukal, Chaki, and Salaya, led by him, told reporters that large-scale excavation and blasting had destroyed forests and road infrastructure, depriving people of basic civic services.
Tanoli said that a jirga attended by residents of different villages had decided not to allow anyone, whether local or from outside, to excavate granite or other minerals from their areas.“Our forests have been destroyed, and the underground water table has declined due to mining, which has also adversely affected our environment because of deforestation,” he said.
The ex-councillors added that due to infrastructural damage and drying water sources, women were forced to move on foot long distances to fetch water.He said that people had also decided to take to the streets if anyone attempted to carry out mineral excavation in their villages.
“We have also appealed to the police, tehsil administration, and other relevant departments to ensure that no one attempts to excavate minerals; otherwise, we will stop them forcefully,” Tanoli warned.
