Hundreds of villagers of Lower Kumarpur area in ward 22 of Asansol Municipal Corporation are agitating and brought out a rally today and submitted a memorandum at the office of district magistrate of West Burdwan alleging illegal filling of the only pond in the area.

The agitators chanted slogans and also held placards, including both men and women in Asansol town.

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Already, Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) have arrested five persons allegedly for filling up illegal ponds in the Asansol Municipal Corporation area and encroaching on state government land. While two of them have managed to get bail, three others are still in police custody. These five people have been arrested in two separate pond filling cases under Asansol North police station and Asansol South police station.

The strict actions by the police against the land dealers in Asansol is still continuing and at this juncture a fresh controversy of illegally filling up a pond has raked up. The pond falls under the jurisdiction of Asansol South police station.

Ujjwal Mondal and Gobordhon Mondal, the agitators said that it is the only waterbody in the village and the local people also perform Chhath Puja every year. Suddenly, since the past few days some people are trying to fill up the pong using bulldozers. “They are also trying to erect boundary wall and grab the vast waterbody. Still there is water in the pond and the villagers are finding it difficult to use the only pond in their locality now,” alleged the locals.

However, the local developer Shankar Sharma claimed that he has taken that land on lease from the government and as per records of the land and land reforms department there is no mention of a waterbody present on that parcel of land.

However, the agitators have submitted documents to the DM office stating that there is mention of a waterbody on one acre of land along with a mass petition.

District Magistrate of West Burdwan S Ponnambalam has promised the agitators to probe the matter and take steps. The agitation by the local people was led by the Gram Unnayan Samity of Lower Kumarpur area under ward 22 of AMC.

Mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporation Bidhan Upadhyay said that he is not aware of this incident and has said that he will also send civic officials to the site for inspections.