Members of the Ri-Bhoi unit of the Hynñiewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) halted the operations of a stone crushing business in Bara Killing today, accusing it of environmental pollution.
The pressure group members confronted the owner, Santu Agarwal, and demanded that he take responsibility for the pollution.
Members of the Bara Killing women’s organisation and other locals accompanied the HNYF.
Residents had accused Agarwal’s operation of violating environmental norms by failing to control the massive amounts of dust kicked up during the process of crushing stones into gravel and not paying heed to their previous pleas. The locals had suggested that water be sprayed on the interior roads near the village to keep airborne dust levels down but this was apparently ignored by Agarwal.