Assam: Illegal mining along India-Bhutan border continues unabated in Udalguri district

TANGLA: The rich bio-diversity of Indo-Bhutan border in Udalguri district which is bestowed with natural resources have for long attracted the greedy eyes of contractors, black market traders, political leaders, and forest officials. Notably, during the 1990s, large-scale destruction of forests began in the Dhansiri Forest Division, formerly part of Darrang district and now part of Udalguri District. Under government patronage, some former insurgents felled valuable trees in the Khalingduar Reserved Forest and Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Subsequently, the rocks and sand in the rivers of the district caught the eyes of the nefarious circles. Over the past 25-30 years, the contractors and traders, with the collusion of some forest officials and public representatives, have been extracting both legally and illegally collected rocks and sand from the rivers in the northern part of the district using excavators and dredger machines. According to reports, for the past couple of years contractors and black market traders have been extracting minor minerals viz. rocks and sand day and night from rivers under the Dhansiri Forest Division in the name of government developmental projects exceeding the limit much beyond the permits which are manipulated in connivance of forest officials. These materials are carried in hundreds of dumper trucks, mini trucks to different parts of state without proper challan. The situation has forced the local administration to set time limits for traffic movement in Tangla town which has restricted movement of these vehicles carrying minor minerals in between 8 am to 3 pm.

It’s noteworthy that the forest department’s rock and sand depots, created for collecting naturally occurring rocks and sand, are flouting all laws and regulations, including the guidelines of the Supreme Court, for monetary gains by recklessly excavating riverbeds.

Under the Dhansiri Forest Division, many rock and sand depots have been established along the Kulsi River, Nonoi River, and Kala River that too without proper government permit, most of the sand depots are granted interim permits at the behest of Dhansiri Forest Division officials in connivance with the BTC Forest Department authorities. “After obtaining permits, depot holders, with the help of excavators, extract excessive amounts of rocks and sand by violating guidelines and sell them for using dumper and tractors most of which lack proper documents,” Saddakash Ali, a local resident said. Contractors and black market traders are extracting 10-12 cm of rocks and sand instead of the permitted 8 cm. Notably, many rock and sand depots are located dangerously close to the pile foundations of concrete bridges, posing a threat to the bridge infrastructure.

Although mining within 500 metres of the pile foundations is prohibited, mining within 100 metres has been observed, threatening both the bridges and river bed. Two glaring examples are rock and sand depot set up at the confluence of the Kulsi River in Gitibari area under Paneri P.S in Udalguri district.

Simultaneously, mushrooming growth of stone crushers (rock-breaking units) which have sprung up along the India-Bhutan border areas are posing severe threats to nature. Most of the crushers are functioning in gross violation of Assam Stone Crusher Establishment and Regulation Act, 2013 and the guidelines of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Forests. These crushers have been set up without proper documentation, concrete perimeters, wind breaking wall, water sprinkling system or tree plantations to arrest the dust particles. The crushers are owned by powerful and wealthy contractors who have used agricultural land for these units by reclassifying the land class. The crushers causing excessive noise and air pollution have become a curse for residents living nearby. Despite the government extracting revenue from rock and sand, the Forest Department flouts all regulations by allowing both legal and illegal mining, making the government’s actions questionable to conscious citizens. The Forest Department have also turned a blind eye to these activities. The silence of so-called environmentalists and student organisations have also raised questions among conscious circles regarding their ulterior motive. Conscious citizens have exhorted the state government to conduct a high-level investigation into the functioning of illegal rock and sand depots and suspicious crushers under the Dhansiri Forest Division and transfer of the forest officials for fair investigation. They also demand a halt to the operation of excavators in riverbeds and the closure of environment-destroying crushers to protect the natural resources of Udalguri district. “Excessive instream sand mining is a threat to bridges, river banks and nearby structures. Sand mining also affects the adjoining groundwater system which have depleted forcing citizens to buy water for daily use,” wildlife activist and conservationist Jayanta Kumar Das said.

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