Berhampur: Amid allegations of unchecked illegal stone mining and heritage devastation, a powerful united voice has emerged from the grassroots as villagers of Dhunkapada in Ganjam district led by Arati Devi, a former Sarpanch who revolutionised the panchayat system in Odisha.
Following an inquiry ordered by the Revenue Minister into rampant stone mafia activities, a report submitted by the recently transferred Collector of Ganjam Dibyajyoti Parida has triggered a controversy. The report, alleged to be misleading and one-sided, is being seen as a shield for mafia operations rather than a reflection of ground realities, Arati opined. Villagers say it downplays illegal activities, raising suspicions of administrative complicity.
Fuelling the fire, Arati Devi has accused the stone mafia of not only destroying the ecological sanctity of five surrounding hills, but also crippling a lifeline she once built—a Rs 25 lakh reservoir and canal system that irrigated the fields of over 500 farming families.
This heritage system, she says, now lies choked. The flow of water from the reservoir to the agricultural fields has been diverted as the mafias have filled the canal with boulders to facilitate the movement of their trucks.
The once-sacred Giri Gobardhan temple, revered by local farmers, teeters on collapse, she alleges. The local farmers used to offer flattened rice and gur to Lord Giri Gobardhan with a belief that there will be rain to facilitate farming.
The national bird peacock is dying under the impact of illegal blasting.
Arati and the villagers met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during the public grievance hearing in Bhubaneswar, where she delivered a direct ultimatum: act within seven days or face a peaceful yet unrelenting indefinite dharna at Raj Bhavan.
Her anguish was palpable as she recounted ecological destruction—illegal blasts, dying peacocks, and poached blackbuck calves—once protected in this sacred landscape.
“This isn’t just about stones,” Arati Devi said. “It’s about the soul of our land. About our water, our wildlife, our worship, and our farmers’ future.”
As the state watches with bated breath, the question looms as to whether the Chief Minister will act decisively or the silence of the hills will deepen into despair?
The fate of a community, its culture, and its ecology hangs in the balance.
