Ganderbal, Feb 7: Women from Gangerhama in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district Friday took to the streets, blocking roads and halting traffic in protest against the government-imposed ban on sand and gravel extraction from Nallah Sindh.
The demonstrators, majority of them women, demanded the immediate lifting of the ban, arguing that it threatens their families’ livelihoods.
Expressing deep frustration, the protesters stated that their families rely on sand and gravel extraction to make ends meet. Many revealed that despite their children being well-qualified, unemployment has left them with no choice but to invest in tippers and tractors through bank loans to sustain their households. However, with the ban in place, they are now struggling to repay these loans and provide for their families.
“How can we feed our families and pay off our loans if the government refuses to let us work on the River Sindh, especially in Gangerhama?” asked one of the woman protesters. They urged authorities to either lift the ban or create employment opportunities for their children, insisting that they would not have to rely on sand extraction if stable jobs were available.
The protest disrupted traffic along the Gangerhama route, drawing the attention of local authorities. Ganderbal Police and civil officials arrived at the scene, engaging with the demonstrators and assuring them that their grievances would be taken up with higher authorities. Following these assurances, the protesters peacefully called off their demonstration.
“The sand and gravel extraction is only source of livelihood for our children. If ban continues, we will be left to starve. How can we meet the ends in the time of inflation. The government must roll back the ban and all us to work so that we can sustain our livelihood,” said another women protester.
Asked about possible impact on the environment due to the gravel extraction, the protesting women argued that they are into the profession since past many decades. “When nothing happened to the environment in the past decades, how come all of a sudden environment is being made an excuse for stopping our bread and butter,” the protesting women said.
