Villagers protest mining lease on Mandholi hills

Jhunjhunu: Villagers of Mandholi in the Neemkathana area of Sikar staged a protest Monday against the proposed approval of mining lease No. 60 in the Mandholi hills.They held a meeting at the public dharamshala of Mandoli village to register their opposition to the mining lease. Following the meeting, they took out a rally from the dharamshala to the Chillai Mata temple atop the hill. Hundreds of villagers participated in the rally, raising slogans demanding the cancellation of the mining lease.Bhagwan Sahay, a villager, said that if the mining lease on the Mandoli hills is approved, the agitation will be intensified further. He stated that mining activities would adversely affect religious sites, the natural environment, and the ecology of the region, and therefore, the mining proposal should be cancelled immediately.During the demonstration, all the villagers climbed the hill and formed a human chain stretching approximately 1km along the hilltop, conveying a message of hill conservation. The villagers said they would not allow mining in the hill area at any cost.