MITHI: The illegal extraction and quarrying of granite stones and gravel are going on unchecked from various points of Karoonjhar hills. Allah Rakhio Khoso, Zulfikar Ali Khoso, and other leaders of the Karoonjhar Sujag Forum have asked the high-ups of the Sindh Government to take strong notice of the ongoing extraction of granite and gravel from the different points of the beautiful Karoonjhar hills. The leaders of the forum, talking to the media persons on Monday, deplored the fact that contractors were not being prevented from their illegal activities of extracting and using the same stone in the construction of small dams to store rainwater. They added that the precious stones, after being extracted, were being used in the construction of other structures without any let or check.
The leaders said that the practice of extraction with the help of heavy machinery was going on unchecked at various points, even though a double bench of the Sindh High Court had imposed a complete ban on mining and extraction from any points of the hills in the entire Parkar region on the fresh petition filed by Advocate Shankar Meghwar a few days back. They alleged that following the court orders, DC Tharparkar Lal Dino Mangi also issued orders to local authorities to ensure the complete ban of any such activity but to no avail.
They claimed that the beautiful hills of Karoonjhar are of great cultural, religious, and historical significance and that as many as 106 had already been declared sacred sites due to the presence of Jain temples and other religious structures. Moreover, they argued that monuments dedicated to historic and folk heroes like Rooplo Kolhi, who had laid down their lives fighting British colonial invaders, were to be found in this region.
