Quarrying banned in Sekmai river
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 26 2013:
A public meeting held today has en-dorsed an earlier decision to ban all quarrying activities in Sekmai river with effect from June 1 .
The meeting held today at Nganbi Education Centre, Awang Sekmai was jointly organised by the Sekmai Protection Committee and Ad- vanced Women Society, Awang Sekmai.
UCM president Y Naba-chandra, Sekmai Protection Committee president Angom Rajesh and AMKIL president Phanjoubam Shakhi attended the meeting as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
The meeting agreed to endorse the earlier resolution of May 12 to ban all quarrying activities in Sekmai river with effect from June 1 .
It also agreed to impose a fine of Rs 5000 if any one is found engaged in quarrying activities in Sekmai river bed.
In case, any vehicle connected to quarrying is seen going to Sekmai river bank, owner of the vehicle should bear full responsibility for any untoward incident resulting thereof.
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Volunteers of Sekmai Protection Committee and Advanced Women Society would enforce the ban on quarrying activities from June 1 onward.
To forward the decisions adopted at the meeting to relevant authorities was another resolution of the meeting.
Notably, tender process for selection of quarrying agents was underway secretively at Sekmai on May 12, when local people came to know about and disrupted the whole process.
This was followed by a public meeting where it was resolved to ban all quarrying activities with effect from June 1 .
Today's meeting was addressed by NIPCO president Sunil Karam, Advanced Women Society president Shanti, Chingmi-Tammi Apunba Lup president Momon Leima and former chief of Sekmai village Tamphashori.
The speakers observed that large scale quarrying in Sekmai river not only pollute river water but also creates a situation where water levels in the surrounding areas have declined to such an extent there is no water even in wells.
They claimed that the ban on quarrying activities was necessary in order to save Sekmai river.