River resource exploitation rampant in Kaligandaki

By Our Correspondent,Parbat, Aug. 30: The exploitation of Kaligandaki River has not stopped even in rainy season. Heaps of sand can be seen in many places of Myagdi, Baglung and Parbat, and these sand mounds are the result of illegal exploitation of Kaligandaki River but the local administration shamelessly claims that it has deployed police to check this illegal activity.

Although there is a legal provision that riverine materials can’t be extracted till September 31, but sand and pebbles are being extracted using huge machines. Local residents complained police, local government, and District Coordination Committee have turned a deaf ear to this unlawful act. They questioned if exploiting river is prohibited till September 31, why are there sand dunes near the river and on road sides?

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Madhusudhan Neupane, said, “It is forbidden to extract anything from the river now but heaps of sand can be seen all over the road. The stakeholders showed dissatisfaction over the act of Kaligandaki River being exploited in different places of Kusma Municipality, Jaljala Rural Municipality and Phalebas Rural Municipality.” Although huge amount of river related products are extracted using large machines, the stakeholders have said that exploiting Kaligandaki River is strictly prohibited.

The Supreme Court has given a verdict that it is illegal to exploit Kaligandaki River which has religious sentiments attached to it. After the verdict, the local level is unable to call tender to extract river related materials. Meanwhile, crusher industries and sand smugglers have started influencing the stakeholders to carry on their illegal business.

Som Bahadur GC, coordinator of District Coordination Committee, said, “It is illegal to extract sand from the river till September 31, but illegal extraction is on-going. After the verdict, the local level could not call the tender, but the exploitation of river has increased in the peak of monsoon as well.” GC further added, Jaljala rural municipality had seized the illegal river related products and auctioned them whereas Kusma has halted tender and auction after the court’s verdict.

Gandaki Province Government has made provisions for extraction of river related products but that is largely ignored. Government has formulated the working procedures to manage extraction and use of boulders, pebbles, sand, mud and rocks. According to the working procedures, it is illegal to use heavy vehicles like bulldozer, excavator, and loader while extracting the raw materials from the river.

The local residents have shown their resentment over the fact that the illegal extraction from Kaligandaki River has not stopped yet. The houses in Majhi Basti, Mal Dhunga, and Kalakhola River area are at high risk because of rampant extraction of sand and other minerals from the river.Neupane said police are deployed in plain clothes to stop the exploitation of the river as per the court’s verdict and the cooperation of all stakeholders is very important to enforce the court’s verdict.