Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Tinojongshi Chang hit the brakes on illegal riverbed mining. On Wednesday, the administration issued a total ban on using heavy machinery to extract sand, gravel, and boulders without official permits. Indiscriminate mining has ravaged the landscape. The order specifically cites "environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, water contamination and damage to agricultural activities."
Officials warned that these illegal operations threaten public safety. Roads, bridges, culverts, railway lines, and irrigation channels face structural collapse. The heavy machinery activity also triggers riverbank erosion and landslides. Groundwater levels are dropping fast. This disruption lowers water availability for both drinking and irrigation while poisoning aquatic ecosystems.
Mining remains illegal without explicit approval. Operators must follow the Nagaland (Ownership and Transfer of Land and Its Resources) Act, 1990, and the Nagaland Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2004. Violators face strict penalties. The order explicitly states that "any individual, group, firm or organisation" found breaking these rules will face prosecution under the law.
Authorities are not taking chances on enforcement. A multi-agency team will patrol the district. The squad includes the police, the Geology and Mining Department, the Forest Department, and the district administration. Village, municipal, and town councils, alongside civil society groups, will also help monitor the riverbeds to ensure compliance.
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