Rautahat, November 25

District Monitoring Committee, Rautahat, today directed the local levels to allow contractors to extract river products if they met the government’s criteria.

The monitoring team, along with the representatives of security departments, directed the local bodies to this effect after inspecting Ramaulighat on the banks of the Bagmati River in Brindaban Municipality today.

District Coordination Committee, Rautahat Vice-chair and district monitoring committee Executive Coordinator Ram BistaYadav, Chief District Officer Govinda Prasad Rijal, SP KedarDhakal, Armed Police Force SP Krishna Dhakal and National Investigation Department Deputy Director Avinaya Singh had visited the site.

The monitoring committee said river products could be extracted as the water level was low. After taking stock of the site, the monitoring team concluded that water level in the river had increased due to excessive amount of sand and gravel in the river. The monitoring team also stated that since the river was three kilometres away from human settlement, it would have no impact on the environment.

Brindaban Municipality has called for tender for mining the river after the district monitoring committee carried out environmental impact assessment. Baba Bishwokarma Construction Service Hardiya received a contract worth Rs 10.6 million.

Chief District Officer Govinda Prasad Rijal said the municipality had offered the contract as per the district monitoring committee’s report. He urged contractors not to use excavators in the river and meet the criteria.

Representatives of District Monitoring Committee inspecting the Bagmati River at Brindaban Municipality in Rautahat, on Sunday.