Police have banned illegal mining of riverine materials (gravel, sand) without tenders in Salyan. Police have banned the mining, saying that illegal and haphazard mining poses various risks.  

Of the 10 local levels in the district, only Triveni and Kalimati rural municipalities have been mining gravel and sand by inviting tenders this year, while Sharda, Bagchaur, Bangad Kupinde Municipality, Kumakh, Siddhakumakh, and Darma rural municipalities have been mining without tenders.

In the name of revenue collection, gravel and sand have been being mined from the Sharda River and other rivers in the district in the name of development. Aquatic animals are being killed while mining riverine materials with excavators and other equipment against standards.

Police Chief of the District Police Office Salyan, Hem Bahadur KC, said that excavations other than tenders were banned after conducting an IEE due to various risks due to the illegal excavation of gravel and sand. He said that action has been taken against about three dozen tractors, excavators, and tippers that were being excavated illegally.

‘So far, Triveni and Kalimati rural municipalities have issued tenders for gravel and sand excavations on the banks of the Sharda and Babai rivers. We have not stopped them,’ he said, ‘We have completely banned them from all places in other municipalities. If anyone works against the law, we will take action.’ 

Bagchaur Municipality Mayor Janakraj Gautam said that after calling for tenders three times, no one signed the contract and has been collecting revenue by excavating gravel and sand from five places within the city through the local level’s legal trust. ‘There is a legal  provision that allows excavations to be done through trust when it cannot be done through tenders. We are carrying out excavations by following all the standards and conducting IE accordingly,' he said.  

Bangad Kupinde Municipality Deputy Mayor Purushottam Acharya said that although the process of excavating river-borne materials was advanced by issuing a tender, no one has awarded the contract, so excavation work is being carried out from two rivers within the municipality. 'Contractors and consumer committees working on development and construction are excavating gravel and sand. They are paying revenue to the municipality as per the rate set by the District Coordination Committee,' he said.