Agriculture is the main profession of this village.

In the early 1980s a contractor form Kanpur obtained a lease for mining sandstone from the hills around Khirakot village. As the work progressed, the villagers and women in particular realized that something was terribly wrong. The mine debris was destroying their carefully preserved patch of forest. The narrow bridle paths to their reserve forests were overrun by mules ferrying the stone and villagers would have to wait for a long time for the procession of mules to pass before they could cross. During the monsoon, the dust from the mines swept down into the fields, creating a thick crust that made ploughing difficult. The men stopped working in the mines and built walls to prevent the mules from using the paths. A criminal case was filed by the contractor against the actions of the villagers. This did not deter the women of the village, who went to each household to collect money to fight in court. Direct action also started by physically stopping the working of the mines. This was followed by retaliation by the contractor: throwing stones at the houses in the village, burning down of a cloth shop, and loosening a reign of terror in the village. When nothing worked, the women were even offered the bait of ownership of the mines, which they refused. The District Magistrate was shown the destruction caused by the mines to the area and he ordered the cancellation of the mining lease. In 1992, the mines were officially closed. The women of Khirakot now settled down to regenerate the forests and fields destroyed by the mines. They filled the ditches created by mining, built a protective wall to prevent the debris from destroying the fields, and planted oak in the panchayat forests. 

The mine debris was destroying their carefully preserved patch of forest. The narrow bridle paths to their reserve forests were overrun by mules ferrying the stone and villagers would have to wait for a long time for the procession of mules to pass before they could cross. During the monsoon, the dust from the mines swept down into the fields, creating a thick crust that made ploughing difficult.

People of Khirakot Village

Courts

Contractor

The District Magistrate was shown the destruction caused by the mines to the area and he ordered the cancellation of the mining lease. In 1992, the mines were officially closed.