Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 24: Several women were injured today during an alleged police lathi-charge in Songli village of Bishnah, where locals have been protesting against the setting up of a waste dumping facility.
The villagers, who have been protesting for the last three days, warned that they will not allow any garbage to be dumped in their area.
On the third day of the protest today, people set up tents and gathered in large numbers to stop the administration from starting work at the site.
The situation became tense when the administration, along with police, and a JCB machine, reached the spot to begin the dumping work.
As soon as the machine arrived, many women lay down in front of it, saying they would rather die than let the dumping yard come up in their village.
The police and officials tried to calm the protesters, but the people refused to move.
As the crowd did not back down, police allegedly used lathis to disperse them, during which several women were injured.
Villagers said the administration is ignoring their repeated objections and going ahead with the dumping yard plan.
They also said there is plenty of empty land in nearby areas where the dumping yard can be made instead.
“Why should the waste of the entire Bishnah be dumped here? Our poor villagers will fall sick,” said a local resident.
A police officer, however, refuted the use of force on the agitating women.
He claimed the women protestors rather attacked the Tehsildar concerned with stones while the latter was performing his duty along with PWD and the police teams.
“In the scuffle with the police and revenue teams, some women might have suffered minor injuries. But the police didn’t use any force on them,” he said.
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