CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: Despite efforts of the district administration to stop illegal mining, the activity is going on unabated in several areas along the Dikhow river under Nazira sub-division in Sivasagar district. The rampant mining activities have posed a big threat to the Dikhow river and environment as well. Raising concern over indiscriminate stone mining on Dikhow river, locals of Bihubar Tea Estate submitted a complaint petition with the Deputy Commissioner, Sivasagar.
In the petition, the locals alleged that stone mining is going on illegally on the Dikhow river near Bihubar Tea Estate and Kamal Chapori under Rajabheta Gaon Panchayat. They claimed that if the unchecked mining from the river continues, it will not only push the area adjacent to the river, which has been used as a cremation ground for more than 50 years, to the verge of destruction and complicate matters for the locals living along its banks and the entire Bihubor Tea Estate in the near future by causing floods. The locals demanded the administration to take action against such miscreants and restrain illegal activities.
On the other hand, Rupraj Baruah, president of Parivesh Suraksha Samitee, Sivasagar District Committee alleged that concerned forest officials were aware of the fact, but nothing had been done so far. In the absence of any check, a number of excavators and dumpers could be seen extracting stone from the river between Lakshmijan and Bihubar, Baruah said.
Many accidents had also occurred in quarries, making it one of the dangerous places for people and animals, Baruah said and added, “A man, who worked as an excavator driver slipped into a stone quarry in the Dikhow river and died last month.” Besides, the innocent animals have also fallen in deep quarries many times, said Baruah.