This story is from July 21, 2021

Patna HC stays quarrying on Nawada hillocks, seeks Bihar govt’s reply

The Patna high court on Tuesday stayed quarrying of two hillocks named Lomas and Yagyawalkya in Nawada having caves with prehistoric paintings on their walls. The hillocks are believed to be living places of rishis of the Ramayana era as well as the birthplace of Luv and Kush when Lord Ram’s wife Sita was in exile.
Patna HC stays quarrying on Nawada hillocks, seeks Bihar govt’s reply
Representative image
PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday stayed quarrying of two hillocks named Lomas and Yagyawalkya in Nawada having caves with prehistoric paintings on their walls. The hillocks are believed to be living places of rishis of the Ramayana era as well as the birthplace of Luv and Kush when Lord Ram’s wife Sita was in exile.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar was hearing a PIL filed by one Vinoy Kumar Singh of Rajauli in Nawada to protect environment and ecosystem surrounding both the hillocks having religious, cultural and historical importance with temples, caves and stairs existing for thousands of years.
The ecosystem includes a water fountain badly damaged due to quarrying. The bench asked the state government to reply within four weeks’ time.
The petitioner has urged the high court to order the authorities to permanently stop mining activities in the area and declare both hillocks as heritage and protected sites while including them in the Ramayana circuit.
The PIL mentions that even the Britishers in 1906 gazette had highlighted the religious and historic importance of the hills.
The court has also been urged that environment and forest department be directed to withdraw its clearance for quarrying in the area. The court was apprised that rock particles from blasting were causing injury to the nearby villagers and affecting wildlife.
Counsel Brishketu Sharan Pandey appeared for the petitioner while assistant solicitor general Tuhin Shankar appeared for the Centre and government advocate Raghawanand for the state government.

HC orders inspection of Patliputra Jn: The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar has ordered the principal secretaries of road construction department and urban development and housing department to carry out inspection of Patliputra Junction with railway authorities to get rid of the problem of poor connectivity and infrastructure for passengers even a long time after it became operational. The court has allowed a week’s time to carry out the inspection and submit report on it for hearing the matter again. The court was hearing a PIL filed by one Bharat Prasad Singh.
‘Why construction of vending zone stopped’: The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar, while hearing a PIL filed by Dr Ashish Kumar Singh, directed the Patna Municipal Corporation to reply why the construction of a vending zone for vendors of Kadamkuan vegetable market has been stopped. The bench directed the municipal body to reply within a week. The court orally observed that why people should suffer for incompetence of the government authorities. Petitioner’s counsel Mayuri submitted that due to lack of coordination between the civic body and the UDHD, only 30% work could be done while yje vending zone was to be completed by 2019. The vendors are forced to sell their items on road resulting in encroachments and traffic jam, he argued.
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