Four crusher industries in Bardiya operating illegally

By Jyoti Panti,Bardiya, Apr. 5: Several crusher industries in Bardiya have been found breaching government regulations due to their failure to meet required standards.

Out of the seven crusher industries currently operating in the district, four have been identified as running illegally, according to data from the Cottage and Small Industries Office.

Among those operating against the rules are Noori Stone Industries in Ward No. 9 of Madhuwan Municipality, Laxmi Sand Processing Industry in Ward No. 2 of Barbardiya Municipality and Bardiya Sand Processing Industry in Thakurbaba Municipality.

Noori Stone Industries has been operating without renewal since August 2020. Authorities said some operators have been running full-fledged crusher plants under the guise of sand processing centres, producing and selling river-based materials.

Despite maintaining registration records with the Department of Commerce, some crusher industries have been operating without coordination with the Division Forest Office and local authorities.

Although the government introduced standards for the crusher industry's operations in 2020 and 2023, many industries have failed to comply, resulting in the non-renewal of licences.

Ratna Pandey, Deputy Mayor of Barbardiya Municipality, said crusher industries have not remained accountable to local governments. Chief of the Cottage and Small Industries Office in Bardiya, Indraraj Khatri, confirmed that Nuri Stone Industries has been operating without renewal since August 2020.

Government rules require such industries to be located at least one kilometre away from forest areas and 500 metres from schools. However, Nuri Stone Industries is operating within a residential settlement.

Bijayraj Subedi, Chief of the Division Forest Office, said that although the industry is registered with the Department of Commerce, it is still required to coordinate with the forest office and comply with legal provisions, which it has failed to do.

A monitoring team at the district level -- led by the District Coordination Committee and comprising representatives from the District Administration Office, District Police Office, Division Forest Office, Cottage and Small Industries Office, local governments and other security agencies -- is responsible for overseeing the extraction and sale of river-based materials.

Chairperson of the District Coordination Committee, Surya Bahadur Bista, said that although monitoring teams identify irregularities, cases must be forwarded to local governments for action, allowing operators to remain influential. He also alleged that political leaders often make phone calls even before inspections take place.

Proprietor of Noori Stone Industries, Mohammad Nasim Halwai, said the issue has existed nationwide since 2020.

Chief District Officer of Bardiya, Gogan Bahadur Hamal, said authorities are currently looking into the status of crusher industries in the district.