Sand quarrying blamed
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 12 2014: Muddying and pollution of Thoubal river can be checked only when the Government bans quarrying of rocks from hill slopes and pulverisation of the same in the form of sand at the river bed.

People of Itham Moirangpurel cannot be blamed for muddying the river, stated Andro A/C MLA Th Shyamkumar.

Speaking to media persons at his official quarters today, Shyamkumar said that there is not a single place within Andro A/C where red sand can be quarried.

It is in the neighbouring villages of Kamu, Saichang and Songphel of Senapati district and Loukhong and Tangkhul village of Ukhrul district where rocks quarried from hill slopes are brought to Thoubal river bed and crushed into sand.

This activity has raised the river bed by 10/20 feet.

The same process has also muddied the water and it looks reddish.

The rising river bed has created a situation where artificial floods can break out any time even if there is little rainfall.

"The matter has been highlighted to the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and also the Forest Minister.

Moreover police were informed to check production of red sand but to no avail so far", Shyamkumar lamented.

He appealed to the Government to prohibit quarrying Nura Chaibi rocks for production of red sand in order to protect environment.

Reiterating that there is no place in Andro A/C where red sand can be quarried, Shyamkumar opined that it would not be justified for the people of Thoubal to blame the people of Andro for muddying/polluting Thoubal river.

The red sand thus produced at Thoubal river bed is being marketed as Dimapur sand.

But this type of sand is inferior and construction of houses using this sand is a matter of serious concern.

"I don't think engineers would recommend this red sand for construction of their own houses", Shyamkumar said.

The same red sand was used in the construction of the Assembly complex, Manipur High Court and Capitol Project in place of Dimapur sand.

This is rather worrisome given the State's location in a highly active seismic zone.

In case the Government does not take up necessary measures to ban production of red sand at the river bed, Thoubal barrage would be completely chocked by mud and the barrage would be rendered useless, Shyamkumar warned.

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