The government of Nepal opens export of stones and sand in the budget issued through an ordinance

Dhangadhi: The government of Nepal has decided to open the export of stone, ballast, and sand legally in the budget issued through an ordinance on May 29.

Some experts oppose it, while others believe that it is a good decision. Many understand that the residents of the Chure area will be endangered if stones, sand, and ballast are not removed. The stones, sand, and ballast piled up every year increase the speed of the river and there is a possibility that the infrastructure including the bridge will collapse.

Prabhat Pal, Assistant Land Conservation Officer of President Chure Tarai Madhes Conservation and Development Committee's Program Implementation Unit, Kailali, said that the government's decision to open the export of stone, ballast, and sand legally was a good thing.

"Residents of the riverbank area are in danger if the stones, sand, and ballast piled up every year are not removed." He said, "But only required excavation should be done after conducting an environmental impact assessment."

However, some experts have objected that the government has opened the export of stone, ballast, and sand to increase exploitation while various programs are being carried out at a cost of billions of rupees by raising funds from donor agencies for the conservation of the Chure area.

Excavation and extraction of riverine materials are being carried out in the Far-Western region despite the ban on the excavation of riverine materials in the Chure region.

Chure forest area covers Kailali, Kanchanpur, Doti, and Dadeldhura districts of the state. Contractors have been extracting stones, sand, and ballast from the restricted rivers in these areas.

It has revealed that the contractors are active in the illegal exploitation of the Chure region. But no effective body has been able to control it.

Chure is the softest and weakest mountain range in the southernmost part of the Himalayan mountain range. It covers about 13% of the country and is spread over 36 districts from Ilam in the east to Dadeldhura in the west.

Similarly, the Chure area is spread over 10.79% of the total land area of ​​the Far-Western Province.

Conservation of the Chure area is very important for human livelihood. But lately, the Chure area is being destroyed illegally.

Keshav Raj Joshi, vice-president of Community Forest Users Federation Dhangadhi, said that illegal smuggling of timber has been rampant in the Chure forest area recently.

"Illegal logging is taking place in the Chure forest area of ​​the Far-Western Region, which has adversely affected the environment. But the concerned bodies have not been able to pay attention,” he said.

At the foot of the Chure are the plains of the Bhavar region, made up of stones, ballast, sand, and gravel brought by the river. It plays an important role in groundwater storage by storing water for the southern plains.

However, illegal quarrying of stones, ballast, sand, and gravel in the Chure region and illegal deforestation has increased the risk of depletion of groundwater storage.