Stone mafias damage Dhunkapada's sacred ecology
Amid allegations of unchecked illegal stone mining and heritage devastation, a powerful united voice has emerged from the grassroots. Villagers of Dhunkapada in Ganjam district, led by Arati Devi, the former Sarpanch who revolutionised the panchayat system in Odisha, are raising their voice against illegal stone mining.
Following an inquiry ordered by the State Revenue Minister into rampant stone mafia activities, a report was submitted by the district administration. But Arati alleged that the report was one-sided.
Arati has accused the stone mafia of not only destroying the ecological sanctity of five surrounding hills, but also crippling a lifeline she once built—a Rs 25 lakh reservoir and canal system that irrigated the fields of over 500 farming families. This heritage system, she says, now lies choked.
The flow of water from the reservoir to the agricultural fields has been diverted as the mafias have filled the canal with boulders to facilitate the movement of their trucks.
The once-sacred Giri Gobardhan temple, revered by local farmers, teeters on collapse, she alleges. The local farmers used to offer flattened rice and jaggery to Lord Giri Gobardhan with a belief that there will be rain to facilitate farming. The national bird peacock is dying under the impact of illegal blasting.
Arati and the villagers took up this issue with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at the Grievance Cell in Bhubaneswar. She demanded action within seven days or else she said they will stage an indefinite dharna at Raj Bhavan.
Her anguish was palpable as she recounted ecological destruction such as illegal blasts, dying peacocks and poached blackbuck calves which were once protected in this landscape.
'This isn't just about stones,' Arati Devi said. 'It's about the soul of our land. About our water, our wildlife, our worship and our farmers' future,' she said. The question looms: Will the Chief Minister act decisively. Or will the silence of the hills deepen into despair?
The fate of a community, its culture and its ecology hangs in the balance.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
24 minutes ago
- India Today
ED restitutes properties worth Rs 386 crore in Karnala Bank scam
The Enforcement Directorate(ED) in Mumbai has restituted immovable properties valued at Rs 386 crore to the Competent Authority under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act in connection with the financial fraud involving Karnala Nagari Sahakari Bank, Panvel. The restitution aims to compensate depositors who suffered financial losses due to a large-scale properties were earlier provisionally attached by the ED under Section 5 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following investigations that revealed the erstwhile chairperson, in collusion with other bank officials, orchestrated a fraud involving forged documents and bogus loan accounts. According to an FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), CID, Pune, on February 17, 2020, 63 fictitious loan accounts were created, through which Rs 560 crore was siphoned off for private investigations under PMLA established that the diverted funds were funneled into various entities linked to Vivekanand Shankar Patil and his relatives. The laundered proceeds were used to acquire immovable properties across Raigad District in Maharashtra. These assets, worth Rs 386 crore, were attached on August 17, 2021, and October 12, 2023. A prosecution complaint was filed on August 12, 2021, before the Hon'ble Special Court, PMLA, and the trial is currently ongoing. In response to a restitution application filed under Section 8(8) of PMLA by the RBI-appointed liquidator, the ED granted its consent. The PMLA Special Court, Mumbai, through its order dated July 22, 2025, directed the release of the property located at Karnala Sports Academy, Panvel, to the liquidator for auction. The court also instructed the Competent Authority, MPID, to auction land situated at Posari, Raigad, and distribute the proceeds among affected Nagari Sahakari Bank had over 5 lakh depositors with total deposits amounting to Rs 553 crore. These depositors lost their savings due to the fraudulent activities of the bank's management. In view of the scale of public loss and to expedite recovery for the victims, the ED has taken proactive steps resulting in the current restitution of assets.- Ends
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Murder accused acquitted after six years in Barmer
Jaisalmer: Additional district and sessions court in Barmer Tuesday acquitted a murder accused after nearly six years due to insufficient evidence. Additional district and sessions Judge No. 2 Piyush Chaudhary ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove Kishanaram was responsible for the murder. The murder occurred on June 16, 2019, and 12 days later, on June 28, the deceased's brother filed a murder case at Nagana police station. The counsel for Kishanaram, Bhagwandas Goyal, said that on June 28, 2019, Gumnaram reported that his brother Nimbharam visited Kishanaram's residence at 7pm on June 16 to recover a debt. Kishanaram's father, Mukanaram, reported on June 17 at 10am that Nimbharam was found injured at their home. Due to the severity of his condition, he was referred to Jodhpur where he died during treatment. Kishanaram was charged with Nimbharam's murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, and a chargesheet was submitted to the court. Advocate Bhagwandas Goyal represented Kishanaram, while additional public prosecutor Anamika Sandhu appeared for the prosecution. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Kishanaram was ordered to furnish a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and a surety of the same amount under Section 437A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, ensuring his appearance in the Rajasthan High Court within six months if an appeal is filed against the verdict. A copy of the judgment will be forwarded to the chief secretary of the home department and the director general of police for disciplinary action against the then-investigating officer, then-circle officer Vijay Singh, Nagana station officer Baldevram, the then superintendent of police, and the prosecution officer.
News18
33 minutes ago
- News18
400 kg hydroponic ganja recovered from womans luggage at Hyderabad airport
Hyderabad, Jul 30 (PTI) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday recovered 400 kg of hydroponic ganja from the luggage of a woman passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, an official release said. The value of the ganja is estimated to be Rs 40 crore, the release issued by the NCB said. Acting on intelligence outputs, NCB officials intercepted the woman passenger and seized 400 kg of the contraband from her two check-in bags, it said. Investigation revealed that the woman procured the contraband from Bangkok and returned to India via Dubai to avoid suspicion as there have been many instances where hydroponic ganja has been recovered from passengers coming directly from Bangkok to various Indian airports, the NCB said. view comments First Published: July 31, 2025, 01:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
