A two-day ‘Pedravan Jalashay Bachao Padyatra’ under the banner of Pedravan Jalashay Bachao Sangharsh Samiti began here on Tuesday to protest against the approval of limestone mining lease near catchment area of Pendravan water reservoir. Thousands of villagers and farmers of Tilda block led by Dharsiva MlA Devji Bhai Patel took part in the padayatra.
Patel along with farmers performed puja for Goddess Khapri at Banjari Mata temple in Khapri village from where the padyatra began. It passed through several villages and culminated at Raikheda village.
At Raikheda, the MlA while addressing the gathering said that Pendravan water reservoir is the life line of 35,000 farmers and villagers of Tilda block. Through this reservoir, nearly 11, 000 acres of agriculture land is irrigated and the 104-year-old reservoir is as holy as river Ganga for the masses of Dharsiva block. But the mining lease will affect the lives of farmers and villagers, he added.
Meanwhile, the second leg of padyatra will begin from Nijla village on Wednesday.