Khotang, March 11

Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadi Municipality has imposed a ban on illegal extraction of construction material including sand, boulder and gravel from Bagarebhanjyang of Khotang.

The municipality imposed the ban after Golden Good Raman JV, a contractor entrusted with the black-topping of Diktel-Chakhewabhanjyang road section along the Mid-hill Highway, extracted construction materials from Bagarebhanjyang illegally. “As we found the contractor extracting a huge amount of construction items from Giddhe Rupakot Community Forest at Nerpa and Dandakharka Khisapatre Community Forest in Kharmi area without permission from the municipality and without paying necessary revenue we banned the activity,” clarified Mayor Deep Narayan Rijal.

The municipality banned the transportation of sand, boulder and gravel after a field visit. Earlier, the municipality had forced a crusher industry at Mahuregadi to shut down for failing to meet the necessary legal process. “The contractors have been extracting boulder and gravel without informing the municipality. They have blatantly been defying the code of conduct,” said Mayor Rijal.

District Forest Office Khotang Chief Lok Raj Nepal confirmed the ban on the illegal extraction of gravel and boulder from Bagarebhanjyang. It has been estimated that around 5,000 cubic metres boulder and gravel have been extracted from Bagarebhanjyang area alone. More amount of such materials had been extracted from Nerpa side than Kharmi, said locals.

Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadi -11, Ward Chair Ram Chandra Rai said that they had filed an application with District Forest Office requesting it to halt illegal transportation of materials from the community forest area earlier. “Now we have to take concrete initiatives for the conservation of the community forest,” said Rai.

Meanwhile, Diktel Rupakot Majhuwakot Municipality Ward 6 Chairperson Madahv Rai also said that suppliers and contractors didn’t inform them while extracting construction materials from the forest area.