Assam: Sand mining rampant on middle stretch of Manda (Dudhnoi) river

A CORRESPONDENT

Boko: Rampant sand mining at Manda (Dudhnoi) river going on for close to two months now has left at least seven villages of Assam and Meghalaya in a precarious situation as riverine erosion has fast turned many nearby areas dangerous for habitation.

The matter came to light following written complaints by residents of the villages of Nokmakundi and Kakalipara, Kasumari among others, to the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara, not once but twice over the situation after sand mining on the middle stretches of the river left their villages prone to river erosion.

This comes close on the heels of a recent visit by State Minister Piyush Hazarika, who upon visiting flood-prone areas of Goalpara on June 7 last, directed officials to act against soil erosion and ensure protection works at several areas of Dudhnoi.

District officials confirmed that permission had been provided for sand mining after an NOC was received from some people with a go-ahead from the Geological department to mine the area for sand. Interestingly, complaints over sand mining had come even last year when the same villages had raised an alarm.

What is interesting to note is that NOCs have been received from only one village comprising just a few households, while the sand mining impact is being felt in both Meghalaya and Assam. At least seven villages across both States have been impacted, leading to a joint complaint by the villagers to the DC of Goalpara.

“It is strange that the Forest department that jumps at anyone cutting even one tree has allowed such brazen extraction of sand from the Manda river to take place without even caring about the impact on local environment,” rued a villager from Kasumari, on condition of anonymity.

A team from the Forest department paid a visit to speak to villagers, following the complaint to Goalpara DC. While they were supposed to come at 10:30 am to Nokmakundi to hear complaints by the villagers, the team landed at 2 am when the village gathering had dispersed.

When contacted on the matter, a team member stated that they were delayed as they got a call about another incident that had taken place that day. However, no information was provided to the villagers to ensure they remained in place at Nokmakundi.

“How can the Forest department accept NOC from just one village to allow sand mining at such scale, when at least seven villages are impacted by their decision? We want them to stop the mining with immediate effect as it is causing irreversible damage to many places along the river banks in both Assam and Meghalaya. This just shows they were desperate to allow such an operation to take place without assessing what would happen,” rued Kasumari resident, Brayan Marak.

A visit to the affected villages showed many places, which were never in danger of being washed away, now getting close to the danger zone.

Last year too, attempts had been made by some parties to mine sand from the Manda river near the same place, but a complaint to the DC ensured prompt action against such operations. This year though, the action has been slow and the villages are now faced with a situation that could turn dire at any moment.

“We are scared of getting close to the bank of the river as it is fast eroding this year, following the operation of at least six pumps to mine sand. Our area has always been a quiet zone but these operators have made life difficult. We even had to cut down many trees in fear as they could drag more ground near the bank. What is crazy is that they have no consent to operate from us,” informed another villager from Nokmakundi in Assam.

The Manda Eco-Tourism centre, which is situated at the bank of the river, has also been affected by the ongoing sand mining.

Upon being contacted on the issue, the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara Khanindra Chaudhury stated that following complaints, mining had been stopped while the Forest department was going around taking hearings of complaints by locals on the sand mining lease given. He however could not provide information about the company that had won the bid for mining sand and for how long.

Chaudhury confirmed that mining was taking place with government consent but had been stopped since complaints by the villagers.“The Mining and Geological department has approved the mining, but it has been stopped since complaints arose. The Forest department is currently taking hearings of people in the area and we will wait for a report from the department. We will take a call after assessment has been done. Since it is a government approved initiative, we cannot suddenly stop operations and will have to wait for sanction,” said the GoalparaDC.He too confirmed that an NOC was provided by a village near the site of mining after which mining operations began.

The villagers however were not happy and asked as to why consent was not taken from all who were going to be impacted by such a decision.  

“We have noticed at least 15-20 dumpers carrying sand from our river on a daily basis. The pumps were set up in the middle of the river between Meghalaya and Assam which made the river change course and come towards where there are many habitations. These pumps operate throughout the day and have only stopped due to the rise in the river water level. We urge the authorities to quickly intervene and stop these acts. The way the river bank has increased is really scary,” said Darmen Sangma, secretary of the Manda Eco Society.

Wind Marak, secretary of Nokmakundi, stated that the extent of sand mining had exposed the foundations of an upcoming bridge in Kentra, North Garo Hills, which was why a joint complaint had been filed with the Goalpara DC.

“We appeal to the authorities to take action on the matter, otherwise we ourselves will have to come out in the streets to protest. After all, our lands are in danger from these acts and we just cannot continue to be silent,” he asserted.  

 Also Read: Guwahati: Illegal Sand Mining Continues Unchecked in Guwahati Despite Official Oversight (sentinelassam.com)

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