Dhading, May 12

With crusher plants on Prithvi Highway remaining shut due to the newly-introduced criteria, post-earthquake reconstruction and development in Dhading have been affected.

The plants were closed after district-based government agencies introduced new criteria for their operation three months ago.

As per the campaign to clean the Trishuli River, the local administration, District Coordination Committee, Nepal Electricity Authority and Cottage and Small Enterprise Development Committee had introduced the new criteria for crusher plants to operate. The newly laid-out criteria bans any crusher and sand washing plants from operating at night and does not allow those plants to release liquid waste into the river directly. The power lines to the 29 crusher and 65 sand washing plants were cut.

Meanwhile, closure of these plants has had repercussions on the construction sector. While post-quake reconstruction has been affected, development activities have been equally hit due to lack of construction materials. “As sand is scarce now, most of the quake victims haven’t been able to complete construction of their houses,” said Netra Prasad Nepal, a quake victim of Nilkantha Municipality-14.

Dhading Construction Entrepreneurs’ Association Chair Tanka Kumar Shrestha also expressed  concern about the shortage of construction materials.

On his part, District Coordination Committee Chief Jagannath Nepal clarified that no plant would be allowed to operate without meeting the criteria. “There is no restriction on plants which conduct their operations following the criteria recommended by local bodies,” he said.