SANGAREDDY: To draw the government’s attention to approximately 40 stone crushing units — both legal and illegal ones — operating in the village, about 25 to 50 residents of Lakdaram, situated within the Patancheru constituency limits, are preparing to contest the upcoming Assembly elections.
Residents said the owners of the crushing units are engaged in operations such as blasting, which gives rise to noise pollution. The proximity of these activities to the residential areas has also led to heavy dust entering the homes. This issue is exacerbated by the constant movement of heavy vehicles from Lakdaram village to various parts of the district.
The locals claim that the loud blasting noise and dust have taken a toll on the health of the elderly and children. “We have been on a relay hunger strike for the last 258 days demanding the removal of such units but the government is not paying any attention to our issue,” they added.
Mallesham, a resident of the village, said there is no distinction between one party and another. He added that leaders from all major political parties have stakes in these units.
MPTC member Srinu said that when they protest against any issue in the village, they are subjected to harassment from leaders of the ruling party who file ‘baseless cases’ against them. Even going towards the crushing units has invited warning calls from the police, he said, adding that similar cases were filed against them when they had protested about the drinking water problem in the village in the past.
Faced with the attitude of BRS leaders, the incessant noise and dust generated by the stone crushers, the villagers have planned to submit a large number of nominations from the segment in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Some residents are even resorting to seeking financial assistance within the village. The residents aim to nominate at least one person from each household in the village.