Crushers operating without renewal

By Jyoti Panti,Bardiya, Aug. 25: Several crusher industries in Bardiya district have been found operating illegally after failing to meet government standards. 

Out of the seven crushers currently running in the district, four are operating against the rules, according to the Office of Cottage and Small Industries.

Nuri Stone Industries in Madhuwan-9, Laxmi Sand Processing Industry in Barbardiya-2 and Bardiya Sand Processing Industry in Thakurbaba are among those running without proper authorisation. Records show that Nuri Stone Industries has been in operation without renewal since July 2020.

Some operators have registered their businesses as sand processing centres, but in practice they are running full-fledged crusher industries, extracting and selling river-based resources. 

Nirdesh Crusher Industry Pvt. Ltd, though registered at the Department of Commerce, has shown no accountability to the local government or the Division Forest Office.

Despite standards being introduced in 2020 and again in 2023, none of the crusher industries have fully complied with, and as a result, their licences have not been renewed. 

Ratna Pandey, Deputy Mayor of Barbardiya Municipality, confirmed that crushers in her area are not accountable to the local authority.

Indra Raj Khatri, Chief of the Bardiya Office of Cottage and Small Industries, said that Nuri Stone Industries has continued operations without renewal since July 2020. Although the rules state crushers must be at least one kilometre away from forest areas and 500 metres from schools, Nuri operates in the middle of a settlement. 

Similarly, Division Forest Officer Bijay Raj Subedi said that Nirdesh Crusher Industry, despite being registered at the Department of Commerce, has not submitted any documents to his office.

Monitoring of crusher industries is meant to be carried out by a district-level team coordinated by the chair of the District Coordination Committee, including the District Administration Office, District Police Office, Division Forest Office, Cottage and Small Industries Office, local governments and security agencies. 

However, Madhuwan Mayor Tej Bahadur Bhat said that even after three years in office, no monitoring of crusher industries has taken place.

Chairman of District Coordination Committee Surya Bahadur Bista admitted that crusher operators have become dominant because monitoring teams merely forward irregularities to the local government for action.

“These crushers run under political protection, so monitoring has no real impact,” he said, adding that political leaders often call before inspections even take place.

Nasim Halwai, proprietor of Nuri Stone Industries, claimed that this problem has existed nationwide since 2020.