A Correspondent
BOKO: Residents of the Damra neighborhood under the Dudhnoi Police Station are upset that despite their repeated written protests about sand mining from the Dudhnoi river to the Goalpara District Commissioner and DFO, nothing has been done. As a result, Mothers’ Union Assam & Meghalaya and GSU Assam State Zone took out a protest rally with the support of the people of the area.
During the protest rally, many NGOs from Meghalaya, All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), KMSS leaders and people from various communities took part and shouted slogans against the sand mining from the Dudhnoi River. More than one thousand people from Garo and other communities from Kalikapara, Damra, Nokmakundi, Kasumari, Patpara, Thengshot, Bakrapur and many other villages from Meghalaya took part in the rally.
The protest rally was taken out from the Damra High School Playground to Nokmakundi Playground in Dudhanoi LAC. When a number of irate tribal women with infants in their arms demonstrated on the National Highway, the image of the villagers' suffering from sand mining was brought to light. According to Soma Marak, president of the Mothers' Union, the water level in the Dudnoi River is dropping daily as a result of mining. “We see far less water than we have in the river, even during the rainy seasons. However, severe erosion began in the region from Dudhnoi to various villages in Meghalaya as a result of sand smugglers utilizing motors to remove the sand from the river,” added Soma Marak.
Soma Marak further said, “State government of Assam planned to decrease erosion in the rivers and therefore Minister Pijyush Hazarika also visited many river side places in Dudhnoi area along with the RHAC Chief Tankeswar Rabha and ordered the department to work for stopping erosion. What is the point of spending unnecessary money on these things when sand mining continues in the river day and night?”
ABSU advisor Dhiraj Hazowary said, “The sand mafia are creating havoc on nature through sand mining by disobeying government regulations for sand mining. On the other hand, departments like forest, transport and police do not see the overloaded sand laden dumpers. Even after carrying sand without challan or less challan while carrying more sand on the dumpers. Police, Transport department only take actions against e-rickshaws, scooties, bikes etc.”
Hazowary added, “The Goalpara DFO responded that we must demonstrate to him that the majority of people oppose sand mining when we asked him to stop it. We were horrified at the time, and now we cautioned the DFO to act quickly to prevent sand mining, or else people will stop doing it.”
ABSU advisor Dhiraj Hazowary said, “We also learn that every month, from Dudhnoi to Guwahati, every dumper has their money collected by all police stations and forest offices. Without any issues from any departments, more than 200 overloaded dumpers loaded with sand traveled to Guwahati, which leads us to believe that certain ministers or influential political figures are involved in this issue.”
GSU Goalpara district president Bablu Sangma emphasized, “Even after repeatedly objecting against the sand mining, which has now caused issues for the local economy, we still do not comprehend. Due to the river's declining water level, people are having trouble with farming and other tasks.”
Sangma further said, “We have repeatedly sent memoranda about this issue to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, DC Goalpara, and DFO Goalpara, but nothing has been done about it as of now. We will launch resistance activities against mining and transportation if the government does nothing, and the government alone will be held accountable for any repercussions that arise.”
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