Matigara Naxalbari MLA and senior BJP leader Anandamay Barman, has called for the urgent intervention of chief minister Mamata Banerjee to put a permanent halt to illegal mining activities in the region.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister, Mr Barman requested strict enforcement of environmental laws and the issuance of guidelines to regulate mining operations.
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Mr Barman highlighted the widespread illegal sand and stone mining activities in the Matigara and Naxalbari areas, implicating certain government officials and police officers allegedly colluding with local political leaders and sand mafia groups.
He noted that these activities persist despite a district administration order (Order No 62/M&M/DLLRO-DJ/24, dated 28/06/2024) prohibiting mining during the monsoon season.
“Despite the order from the Darjeeling district magistrate, sand mafia groups continue to extract and transport sand and stone from riverbeds in blatant violation of the ‘Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016,'” Mr Barman stated.
He identified rivers like Mahananda, Balason, Rakti, Mechi, and Chenga as hotspots for these illegal activities, with miners even using heavy equipment like excavators under the cover of darkness.
He also pointed to a tragic incident in the Matigara area last year, where three minors died due to a landslide during illegal sand excavation at the Balason river. Recently, two minor students from Muraliganj in Bidhannagar and Gangaram Tea Plantation in Ghoshpukur lost their lives in accidents involving tractors used in illegal mining operations.
In his letter, Mr Barman also raised concerns about illegal stone crushers operating with expired licenses, allegedly with the tacit support of corrupt government officials and police officers, often in collusion with local Trinamul leaders.
He named several areas where these crushers are located, including Gulma on the Mahananda river, Putinbari, Khaprail and Tarabari on the Balason river and Rakamjote in Naxalbari on the Mechi river.
The BJP leader warned of the severe environmental damage caused by unsustainable mining practices, including significant erosion of riverbanks, destabilization of riverbeds, and a drastic drop in groundwater levels, which have adversely affected agriculture and drinking water availability.
He emphasized that these practices have not only led to increased flooding incidents but also resulted in substantial government revenue losses that could have been allocated to public development projects.
BJP MLA Mr Barman urged the CM to take action against the ongoing illegal mining activities and to put on hold any approval for a new crusher project in the region until the situation is brought under control.
