Seer on indefinite stir against illegal quarrying

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 17

The Matra Sadan ashram has resorted to an agitation against illegal quarrying on the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar.

Brahmachari Atmabodhanand, a disciple of Swami Shivanand, sat on an indefinite agitation on the Matra Sadan premises at Jagjeetpur in Kankhal, 5 km from the city, yesterday.

Swami Shivanand and Swami Atmabodhanand said the violation of the recommendations of the Green Tribunal, the Environment Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board by the district administration had led to mass-scale quarrying on the Ganga riverbed. “The issue has been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned, but no action has been taken so far,” he said.

Instead, the administration favoured the quarrying mafia and conduted no raid on the Bairagi camp to keep a check on vehicles ferrying quarrying material, he added. The seer urged Chief Minister Harish Rawat to act against the Haridwar District Magistrate and the Director, Quarrying.