After the police seize tractors and tippers that have illegally smuggled riverine goods, they recommend them to the concerned municipality for necessary action. However, the municipality releases them after collecting a small fine.
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Illegal smuggling of river-borne goods has increased on the banks of the Andhi Khola in Lamage, Putalibazaar Municipality-14. Syangja Police took control of a tractor bearing number G.1.T 44273. The tractor was being illegally loaded with gravel and sand when it was seized by the police. The district police have stated that a person involved in illegal excavation and transportation has also been taken into control.
Similarly, the police have seized four tractors at once at the Duighare-Dulerah-Putalikhet Pakkipul ghat in Andhikhola, Putalibazar-3 a few days ago. After the locals informed them that they were illegally excavating and transporting riverine materials, a plainclothes police team deployed from the District Police Office took them into custody simultaneously. The tractors with registration numbers G.1.T 5171, G.1.T 6440 (with registration numbers G.1.T 6440 on the front engine part of the tractor and G.1.T 57399 on the rear shield), G.1.T 574 and G.1.T 4630 were seized.
Similarly, a tractor with registration number Lu.5.T 844 was seized while loading sand at the Wankatta ghat in Chapakot Municipality-8 Kaligandaki. The police have said that all the tractors were seized based on the leads. The police had sent the tractors to Chapkot Municipality for action. However, Chapkot released them after paying a fine of Rs 10,000. Similarly, on Kartik 17, tractors G.1.T 5039 and G.1.T 6263, which were seized from the banks of Andhikhola under Bhirkot Municipality, were also released after paying a fine of Rs 10,000 each.
These are just a few examples. According to the District Police, 60 vehicles involved in illegal river mining have been seized and action taken. According to District Police Chief Superintendent of Police Dadhiram Neupane, 60 vehicles including 47 tractors, 7 JCBs, 5 tippers and 1 jeep have been taken. SP Neupan said that a revenue of Rs 940,732 was collected from those vehicles.
The police have stated that they are releasing tractors caught from the banks of the Andhikhola and Kaligandaki rivers only after taking action. The police say that if the rules are not tightened, they cannot be improved. Despite pressure and influence, the police have brought tractors that illegally extract riverine materials under the legal ambit, and they narrated an incident where in the past, they were under political pressure to release them, saying that they would not be so strict. 
After the police take control of tractors and tippers that have been illegally exporting riverine materials, they recommend them to the concerned municipality for necessary action. There is a legal provision for municipalities to take action according to the police letter. However, by giving exemptions and imposing a general fine, the illegal extraction and transportation of riverine materials has not been able to reduce. The police say that illegal extraction and transportation of riverine materials not only causes environmental damage but also violates economic rules at the local level.
The demand for gravel and sand for construction work is increasing. Police say that local contractors or traders are illegally excavating because the price increases even during off-season months. SP Neupane says that it is easier to carry out illegal activities as the monitoring by the administration and related bodies is relatively weak during off-season months.
‘In some cases, local influential people or groups give silent protection to those who do illegal excavation,’ he added. ‘Contractors try to use river materials even outside the season so that work like roads, buildings, bridges does not have to be stopped.’ There are cases of exporting them elsewhere using the pretext of an under-construction project.’ According to him, even if there is an arrest or fine, the immediate financial benefit is considered greater, but the profit seems greater than the fear of punishment.
Police investigations have shown that large-scale excavations are carried out in a short period of time because tractors, excavators and other machines are easily available. Civil activist Durganarayan Dhakal says that some local youth are encouraged to engage in such illegal activities because there is no alternative to employment.
According to the Stone, Gravel and Sand Excavation Sale and Management Standards, 2077, excavation is not allowed up to 500 meters above a concrete bridge and 1 kilometer below the bridge. This rule is not applicable in Andhikhola.
‘When someone is given a contract for a certain river, they collect river-related materials whenever, at any time, in any vehicle,’ said SP Neupane, ‘Management standards are one thing, implementation is another. The materials from the river from which the construction materials are collected should be collected 500 meters away from the river and measured and verified by a technician. The technician checks whether the contract is valid or not. If they collect more, they collect revenue and take action. A receipt is issued for this. The tractor number, time and date are specified in the receipt. The receipt is made for this purpose. However, neither those rules are followed here nor does anyone have the receipt. He said that construction materials are being excavated indiscriminately at any time and in any vehicle. He said that the quality of the construction materials is also found to be poor.
It is a practice to award contracts to one person in the rivers and streams of Syangja and let another person do the work for a certain amount. Police say that the second contractor is doing the excavation indiscriminately. Locals say that the police have been active in protecting the illegally extracted river resources and have not taken them from the river.
Dron Prasad Pokharel of Putalibazaar Municipality-4 said that there was a decrease after the police caught them and took them away. No one is seen openly taking them 1 kilometer below the river and within 5 meters above the river. Meanwhile, the police have stated that they send police teams even at night and check receipts of those who have worked regularly.
Andhikhola is an asset for Syangja. Along with prosperity, identity and culture, it is also irrigation. Andhikhola is considered the basis of prosperity. ‘If the municipality can manage it, the municipality can become prosperous,’ says Police Chief Neupane, ‘We are regularly monitoring for river protection. There is little work on building dams and canals for irrigation in Andhikhola.’ He said that it is necessary to protect Andhikhola for irrigation. He says that despite producing construction materials every year, the municipality has not been able to benefit properly due to not contracting properly.
‘If the municipality can contract and utilize it, it will accelerate development,’ says Sharmila Poudel, former vice-chairwoman of Andhikhola Rural Municipality. ‘It is the problem of working in an unconventional way that has been going on for a long time.’ She said that monitoring is necessary from the municipal level. Analysts say, ‘Mere action to stop such crimes is not enough.’ There is a need for a long-term strategy, local participation and a continuous monitoring system in natural resource conservation.’
