Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Tinojongshi Chang outlawed the use of heavy machinery for riverbed mining this week. The ban hits anyone extracting sand, gravel, or boulders without valid permits. It applies across the entire district. Officials say the order protects public safety and vital infrastructure.
Indiscriminate mining wrecks the land. According to the official order, these activities have caused “environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, water contamination and damage to agricultural activities.” Heavy equipment weakens roads, bridges, culverts, railway lines, and irrigation channels. It also triggers riverbank erosion and landslides while draining groundwater levels.
The crackdown enforces the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974. Rules 49 and 50 of the Nagaland Minor Mineral Concession Rules of 2004 also apply. Operations lacking proper licenses are now officially illegal. Future extraction requires approvals under the Nagaland (Ownership and Transfer of Land and its Resources) Act of 1990.
The administration warned that “any individual, group, firm or organisation” caught ignoring the rule will face legal penalties. A dedicated monitoring team will patrol the district. The group includes police, district administration, the Forest Department, the Geology and Mining Department, plus various civil society, village, and town council representatives.
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