Elected representatives efforts to curb illegal mining in rivers

The newly-elected people's representatives in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality in the district of Banke have prioritised their moves to stop the illegal mining from rivers and streams in the rural municipality.

The rural municipality has started onsite visits and monitoring for the same from Thursday.

Chairman of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality Tapta Poudel said all nine ward chairpersons, 17 members of the rural municipal executive, officials, technicians and security officials made onsite visits to different rivers and took stock of the rising mining.

According to Poudel, the rural municipality has already made a decision from the rural municipal executive regarding the regulation of river mining.

After the monitoring, the crusher industries would be interrogated and the source of the purchase of sand, stones, pebbles and others would be examined in the monitoring.

Chief Executive Officer of the rural municipality Singha Raj Dangi said most of the crusher industries have been found running illegally.

Some of the industries have been asked to appear at the rural municipality office within seven days along with their documents and deposit the revenue amount.

The municipality has restricted for riving mining in Khairikhola, Muguwakhola, Tikulipurghat, Sidhaniyaghat, Bagdailaghat, Lalpurghat, Alinagar, Jalalalghat, Paruwakhola and several other sites.

Officials said that smuggling and illegal mining of river materials are rampant in the district as the municipality failed to call the tender bidding in the fiscal year 2078/079 BS.