CHAUTARA: Illegal quarries being operated on the hillsides of Gati and Phulpingkatti Village Development Committee in Sindhupalnachok district have made travelling on Araniko Highway dangerous. Vehicles and passengers are at great risk of falling boulders due to the quarries. Besides, these activities also increase the risk of landslide and soil erosion.

District Development Committee (DDC) has not been successful in checking such activities despite repeated efforts time and again. According to the DDC, it has granted permission to 6 people to operate quarries on the bank of the Bhote Kosi river at Ghumthang, Listi and Tatopani, as they do not pose a risk to the highway.