Assam: Villagers Protest Sand Mining on World Environment Day, Cite Environmental Degradation in Boko River

Boko: On the occasion of the World Environment Day, villagers from Gohalkona, Jongakhuli, Komaduli, Lepgaon and Katholpara took out a protest rally at Lepgaon area to stop the sand gravel mining from Boko River. The border area development Youth Organisation organized the protest rally along with tree plantations in the area and hundreds of people including women and children took part in the day long programme.

The area falls under the Singra Forest Range Office and the range officer Bhargabh Hazarika said, “Before allotment of legal mahal there was rampant illegalities and only few people having upper hand got benefited out of this and due to non scientific mining Boko river got badly damaged. Keeping all this in mind the Goholkona Mahal was allotted following all departmental rules and regulations. When it became legal many poor people were benefited out of this due to scientific mining.”

However Ranger Hazarika alleged that miscreants keep on trying to protest against the legal mahal so that again illegal mining can be started that will degrade the whole ecosystem.

On the other hand, Jonson Sangma, the president of the Border area development Youth Organisation clearly said that digging too deep by using poclain caused fear for humans and animals. “The sand gravel mining was started from January 25, 2023 and after that the river water was totally unusable and polluted. Now the people cannot use the water for bath and other purposes.” Jonson Sangma added.

It is to be mentioned that the Border area development Youth Organisation submitted a memorandum on June 5 to Bhupender Yadav, the ministry of Environment, forests & Climate Change against the sand mining activity from the Boko (Chisol) river, where they clearly mentioned that the contractor was bound to carry out the sand gravel mining within the specified GPS coordinates. However, it is seen that the sand mining is being carried out beyond the GPS Co- ordinates specified in the agreement. Besides, the sand mining is being carried out beyond the depth recommended in the agreement. That activity has depleted the water level of the Boko river (Chisol). The haphazard activity has made the water unfit for human, domesticated cattle and fish in the river.

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