10-hour-long traffic jam in Banda comes to an end

A ten hour-long traffic jam in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh ended and normal traffic was restored on Friday.

Rajiv Pratap Singh, Circle Officer (CO) of the city said the jam started after sitting BJP MLA from Tindwari, Brijesh Prajapati, began a protest over illegal mining and water crisis.

"He had blocked the traffic since 11 pm yesterday, he had a few demands regarding illegal sand mining, which were resolved by the DM. The road has now opened," Singh told ANI.

Brijesh Prajapati accused the illegal sand-miners of stopping and diverting the flow of rivers at places to continue their illegal mining and added that it was his responsibility to ensure the culprits are punished by the law.

"The whole of Banda district is suffering from water-crisis, one of the prime reasons for that is illegal mining and it has also been stopped at many places. Since the people have shown faith in us by making our government and the centre, therefore it is our responsibility to help them in the time of their suffering," Prajapati told ANI.

"At a time when people from my constituency are not getting enough drinking water and are facing difficulties in getting sand for their homes these illegal miners cannot be allowed to operate," he said.