Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur has banned heavy machinery for riverbed mining to protect infrastructure and environment.
DIMAPUR — Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dimapur Dr. Tinojongshi Chang has imposed a complete ban on the use of heavy machinery for the extraction of sand, gravel, boulders, and other riverbed materials within the Dimapur district without obtaining the requisite permissions and licences.
The order, issued in the interest of public service, states that the indiscriminate use of heavy machinery in riverbed mining has caused severe environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, water contamination, and damage to agricultural activities.
According to a DIPR report, it also notes that such activities have adversely affected the structural integrity of roads, bridges, culverts, railway infrastructure, and irrigation channels.
As per the order, unregulated riverbed mining has increased the risks of riverbank erosion, landslides, and other natural disasters, lowered groundwater levels, reduced water availability for drinking and irrigation, and disturbed the natural flow of sediments, posing serious threats to aquatic ecosystems, public safety, and the livelihoods of local communities.
The DC stated that such activities violate provisions of the Environment Protection Act 1986, the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, and Rules 49 and 50 of the Nagaland Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2004. Mining operations carried out without valid permits or licences will be treated as illegal.
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The order directs that the extraction of riverbed resources using heavy machinery will only be permitted after obtaining approvals under the Nagaland (Ownership and Transfer of Land and its Resources) Act 1990, the Nagaland Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2004, and all other applicable statutory requirements.
It further warns that any individual, group, firm, or organisation found violating the order will face penal action under the relevant provisions of law.