Gahvaran, Barsana (Mathura) : Illegal quarrying is destroying Braj Bhoomi - the land of Krishna. The mining activity is threatening heritage sites and disturbing the ecological balance of the region, which, mythologically, was the setting for the Krishna Leela.

However, the Rajasthan government remains more or less indifferent to the crisis, despite directives of the Rajasthan High Court, repeated pleas of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and local NGOs. Several heritage sites have already been reduced to dust. The ancient cave of Vyomasur is on the verge of being destroyed.

Although the epicentre of the illegal quarrying is Kaman tehsil in Bharatpur district, some bordering areas of Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad District in Haryana are also witness to the activity.

An NGO Braj Rakshak Dal (BRD) has been crusading against the quarrying in Braj Bhoomi for several years.