Locals have come out in protest and stopped excavation in Lakhandehi River in Lalbandi Municipality after they found that the contractor company had dug a deep hole in the River at Ward No 1 and 11 Hirapurghat to extract ballast sand against the agreement.

Locals are angry that the illegal excavation at Hirapurghat, three kilometers north of the East-West Highway, will damage half a dozen villages including Hirapur, Nawalpur and Palar. The locals allege that the employees of the municipality and the people's representatives may have joined along in this illegal activity.