Illegal mining and smuggling of sand, pebbles and stones from the rivers in Banke is still continuing despite regular interventions from concerned authorities.
Police departments had intensified their actions after elected representatives from Raptisonari Rural Municipality had confiscated smuggled riverbed materials recently. However, the illegal mining has still not stopped. Police had recently arrested four tractors while transporting riverbed materials from the municipality.
Area Police Office, Kohalpur, informed that they arrested two tractors (Bhe 1 Ta 3316 and Bhe 1 Ta 7362) leaving the river with illegally extracted materials and two tractors (Bhe 1 Ta 8863 and Bhe 1 Ta 7140) coming towards the site for the same purpose.
“We had arrested two tractors while it entered Muguwa River in Ward No. 2 of Raptisonari. When investigated, it was en-route to transport illegally extracted construction materials from the river. Two other tractors were arrested while it was leaving the river with extracted materials,” said Assistant Sub Inspector of Police Bishnu Khadka.
Police informed that illegal mining of riverbed materials was still continuing in different areas by hiding. However, public argued that crusher industries are large and can be sighted easily but authorities have failed to act against them strictly.
Authorities, however, pledged to identify and arrest individuals behind illegal mining of the rivers across Banke.
Source : TRN,
