Illegal sand mining   

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Assam government to respond within a month on the issue of alleged large-scale illegal sand mining that has been happening on the Singla River in the Sribhumi district for the past several months. As reported prominently on the front page of the Sunday edition of this newspaper, the NGT’s Eastern Zone Bench, after considering a petition submitted by one Sanjib Das, has asked the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Environment Department) of the Government of Assam, as well as the District Commissioner of Sribhumi, to file their submissions on the alleged illegal sand-mining on the said river. As reported, the NGT has also impleaded the Assam State Pollution Control Board in the matter. The NGT direction came close on the heels of the Gauhati High Court reportedly issuing a notice to the Union government as well as the Government of Assam, directing them to respond to a PIL over uncontrolled mining activities in the Beki River leading to severe bank erosion, posing a serious threat to several villages situated beside it. The Beki originates in Bhutan and passes through the ecologically sensitive Manas National Park, which figures prominently in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites. A petitioner called Biplab Roy alleged that degradation of the river ecosystem caused by indiscriminate sand extraction in the Beki has caused serious harm to the environment, including lowering of the river bed, destabilisation of banks, groundwater disruption, increased flood risk, and damage to biodiversity. That illegal and indiscriminate sand-mining has been going on in rivers across Assam is in everybody’s knowledge, except the specific authorities who are supposed to remain proactive against such criminal acts. While the media has been highlighting the menace of illegal sand-mining in Assam quite often, very little action is actually seen being taken by the appropriate authorities. In several instances, the powerful sand mafia, which apparently enjoys blessings from influential politicians, has even threatened and intimidated local reporters in different districts. Scanning local newspapers, one can easily find that the Kulsi in Kamrup district, the Kaldiya in Bajali district, the Kaliyani in Karbi Anglong and Golaghat districts, the Beki in Barpeta and Baksa districts, the Bhogdoi in Jorhat district, the Disang in Charaideo district, and the Kapili in Morigaon district are some of the worst instances of illegal and indiscriminate sand-mining in Assam in recent times. Elected representatives of the state – the honourable MPs and MLAs – rarely raise their voices against acts that directly affect the state’s ecology and environment, which is unfortunate.