DIMAPUR, AUGUST 5 (MExN): The Deputy Commissioner 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 in the district without the requisite permissions and licences.
The order, issued in the interest of public service, seeks to curb illegal and unregulated riverbed mining, which the district administration said has caused extensive environmental damage and posed risks to public infrastructure and local livelihoods.
According to the order, the indiscriminate use of heavy machinery for riverbed mining has resulted in “environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, water contamination and damage to agricultural activities.” It further noted that such activities have adversely affected the structural integrity of roads, bridges, culverts, railway infrastructure and irrigation channels.
The administration also warned that unregulated extraction has increased the risks of riverbank erosion, landslides and other natural disasters, lowered groundwater levels, reduced the availability of water for drinking and irrigation, and disrupted the natural flow of sediments, posing serious threats to aquatic ecosystems, public safety and the livelihoods of local communities.
The order stated that such activities violate the provisions of the Environmental 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. It clarified that any mining operation undertaken without valid permits or licences would be treated as illegal.
The Deputy Commissioner directed that extraction of riverbed materials using heavy machinery will be allowed only 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.
The order further warned that “any individual, group, firm or organisation” found violating the directive would face penal action under the relevant provisions of law.
To ensure effective implementation, a monitoring team comprising officials from the District Administration, Police, Geology and Mining Department, Forest Department, representatives of civil society organisations, and village, municipal and town councils has been constituted to oversee compliance with the order.
