Sand mining with machines will be banned: CM
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 28 2023:
Chief Minister N Biren has stated that mining of sand using machines would be banned soon even though manual mining in smaller quantities may be permitted under a rule.
Congress MLA Surja-kumar Okram raised a call attention motion in the State Assembly today saying that the Thoubal River has been damaged very badly due to indiscriminate sand mining and stone quarrying in the river bed.
Surjakumar pointed out that the turbidity of Thoubal River has risen to an intolerable level due to unrestrain- ed sand mining and stone quarrying.
Earlier people settled along Thoubal River near the mining sites filed a petition at the High Court regar- ding the adverse impacts caused by sand mining.
Acting on the petition, the High Court passed an order on July 2, 2019 whereby sand mining and stone quarrying were banned across the State, Surjakumar said.
Later, the Industries Director granted a provisional quarrying lease for sand mining at five sites.
The fives sites where sand mining lease was granted included two sites at Leikinthabi along Imphal River, two sites at Serou in Kakching district and one at Aimol in Tengnoupal district, he said.
Saying that majority of the stone and sand miners are daily wage earners whereas there is an urgent need to protect rivers from indiscriminate sand and stone mining, Surjakumar urged the Government to work out a win-win formula.
Responding to the call attention motion, Chief Minister N Biren remarked that the turbidity of Thoubal River has crossed the tolerable limit due to indiscriminate sand mining and stone quarrying using heavy machinery like excavators (JCB, Poclain).
He said that the State Cabinet has already adopted a decision to ban mining sand and stone from river beds using machines.
A gazette notification would be issued soon in this regard, Biren said.
At the same time, manual mining would be streamlined considering the livelihood of manual labourers.
The manual workers can continue their work with prior permission from Commerce & Industries Department and Forest Department, the Chief Minister added.