In Panauti, Bethanchok, Roshi and Mandandeupur areas, which were heavily affected by last October's floods, settlements are at risk due to illegal mining operations again.
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Stones and gravel are being excavated around the school building, classes are going on in the classrooms. Neither the students can hear well what the teacher is teaching nor the teacher understands what the students are saying.
Chalal Ganesh Sthan Mineral Industry Pvt Ltd has been excavating near Ganesh Basic School in Bethan Chowk-4 Chalal Ganesh Sthan for a few days now. Karan Magar, who is studying in class 7, said that the dust from the mine covers the school itself. Parvati Tamang of the same class said that she could not concentrate and read after the mining started. "When the breakers are operated in the mine, no one speaks," she said.
Locals are worried that mining will affect children's psychology when they are studying, and that schools and settlements around the mine will be at risk. A teacher said that when breakers are operated in the mine, the building itself shakes and the children get scared. "There is a risk that the dust coming out of the mine will affect the health of the students," she said.
Local Naxalmaya Tamang is worried that the mound will reach her house while digging. Excavation is going on near his house. Another local, Leela Bahadur Lama, said that if this kind of random excavation is allowed, disasters like floods and landslides may occur. Kuntidevi Dong of Chalal Ganeshthan said that they had to live in fear because of the mining and crusher industry operating in the slums.
There are currently three mining and crusher industries operating in Bethanchok Rural Municipality. Bethanchok is the same municipality, where the floods and landslides of two weeks last October caused human and physical damage.
Various studies have pointed to the mining crusher industry as the main cause of landslides and more damage. But within a few months, the mining and crusher industry started running. "Mining and crushers are being operated near schools, health posts and settlements," said an old man in Bethanchok.
Bhagwan Adhikari, chairman of Bethanchok Rural Municipality, said that all the three industries have been allowed to operate according to the procedure. He said that all the three industries have completed all the procedures like registration, permission from the mining department, renewal. 7 mines and 5 crusher industries have been opened in Panauti municipality after the disaster of last October. Deputy Head of Panauti Nagar Geeta Banjara said that only the industries that have completed all the procedures have been allowed to operate now.
According to the rural municipality, a crusher is in operation after the disaster in Roshi. There, the industry that suffered minor damage due to the flood has been repaired and brought back into operation. Out of 4 mines and crusher industries in Namobuddha Municipality, 3 were damaged by the disaster. 3 industries are running in Mandandeupur Municipality after the disaster. There are 4 crushers and 7 mines in operation in Bhumlu Rural Municipality.
Bharat Sapkota, member secretary of the working group formed for on-site monitoring of the mining and crusher industry and information officer of the district coordination committee, said that most of the industries did not meet the standards and the operators could not show documents saying that they had been damaged by the flood. We are in the process of studying. All reports are prepared in a month, he said. District Coordinating Committee Chief Deepak Kumar Gautam said that the illegal mining and crusher industry was also the main reason for the heavy damage caused by the landslide last October.
Crusher industry operating standards state that it should be operated 500 meters away from highways, streams, rivers, bridges, Taltalaiya, and 2 kilometers away from educational institutions, health institutions, settlements, religious, cultural, archeological places and security agencies. In the sand and stone processing industry, it is mentioned that there will be side drains, mud settling ponds, arrangements for air pollution control. In the report 2079 prepared by the district-level monitoring task force of the river and mining industry, it was mentioned that the mining and crusher industry did not follow the standards.
The district monitoring committee's meeting held on January 9 concluded that Kavre's river and mining crusher industry and geographical heterogeneity were the main causes of the flood. District Coordinating Committee Head and District Monitoring Committee Coordinator Gautam said that the concerned industrialists have been repeatedly informed for the operation of the mining and crusher industry in accordance with the standards and instructions have been given to the local level for regulation.
According to him, the committee is re-monitoring as it has been found that the mining and crusher industries that are currently operating are not following the standards. Chief District Officer Umesh Kumar Dhakal said that he has written to the relevant authorities to take action against the mining and crusher industries that do not follow the norms.
