Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Mohajon Kro, a resident of Rongbin Aklam in Diphu, filed a formal complaint with the National Green Tribunal and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He alleges that heavy machinery is destroying the Deihori River. The river sits inside a proposed Eco-Sensitive Zone around Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The petition claims excavators and earthmovers operate directly in the active river channel. These activities allegedly destabilize the riverbed and destroy fish breeding grounds. Local tribes rely on this water for bathing and domestic needs. Kro warns that diesel and lubricant leaks from heavy equipment threaten to contaminate the water supply.
Kro identifies Songja Terang as the leaseholder for the Deihori River Sand cum Sand Gravel Mahal under an order from the Karbi Anglong East Division Divisional Forest Officer. The complaint calls for a probe into contractors and transporters. The petitioner demands that authorities verify permits and investigate potential environmental violations.
The filing argues that officials ignored the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines of 2016 and the 2020 enforcement protocols. Kro seeks an immediate halt to all mechanised extraction. He wants a joint committee from the Central and Assam Pollution Control Boards to inspect the site.
This case leans on a 2019 Supreme Court order that restricted mining in catchments feeding the park. The court previously ordered local police to ensure no mining occurred in these hills. The petitioner stated the environmental stakes are high, noting that "unregulated extraction from rivers in the region cannot be viewed solely as a local sand-mining issue."
Kro requests full restoration of the river and compensation under the Polluter Pays Principle. The NGT application has been sent to the Assam Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, and local district administrations in Karbi Anglong and Golaghat.
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