Locals have demanded immediate long-term management after the risk of mud, clay, and gravel from the excavation of the Dantakali Quarry operating in the Salbote area reaching settlements during the rainy season increased.
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Locals have complained that the Dantakali Quarry under Shivam Cement, operating in Sahidbhumi Rural Municipality-7 of Dhankuta, is not being managed properly, putting their settlements, drinking water and roads at risk.
Dantakali Quarry operating in the Salbote area has received permission to mine in an area of about 5,946 square kilometers. The locals have demanded immediate long-term management as the risk of mud, clay and gravel from the mine flowing into the settlements below during the rainy season has increased.
According to locals, the possibility of landslides, floods and rock and mud flows during the rainy season has increased due to the accumulation of mining waste near Lungdang Tol. They say that this may affect not only the settlements but also the drinking water sources used by the locals and rural roads.
Rambabu Rai of Lungdang Tol said that effective and long-term management should be implemented as soon as possible to reduce the risk as the rains have started. 'The problem may worsen after the rains start. The company should work immediately to protect the settlements, drinking water and roads,' he said.
Meanwhile, Homraj Dahal, who has taken charge of the local management of Dantakali Quarries, informed that the work of constructing the necessary infrastructure for mining waste management has been started. According to him, the work of constructing a dam to control the leachate and sediment, and the construction of a check dam and sedimentation pond to safely divert water and leachate to the creek has been taken forward.
'Although the management of mining waste is challenging, work has now started towards a long-term solution,' Dahal said. 'Since the company has purchased most of the land in the affected area, it has now become easier to construct the necessary infrastructure.'
According to the company, most of the land in Pakha Tol, which falls under the mine-affected area, has been acquired. However, some locals are still living in the risky area for various reasons despite receiving compensation. Local Dewan Dhawaj Rai said that he has sold his land and made arrangements for living elsewhere and will be relocated soon. But some families have said that they could not immediately leave the place due to religious and cultural reasons. According to them, the delay in moving to a new place is due to the incomplete process of moving the ancestral deity and other religious structures.
Meanwhile, the District Administration Office, Dhankuta, has urged those living in the mine-affected areas to be aware of the risks. Assistant Chief District Officer Laxmi Prasad Regmi has requested families living in risky areas to move to safer places even after selling their land. 'The rainy season has begun. Keeping in mind the potential risks, it is necessary for the residents of the affected areas to move to safer places,' Regmi said, 'The administration is also continuously monitoring the situation.'
Locals, however, have said that the company should bear the responsibility for the environmental and social impacts along with the economic benefits derived from the mine operation. They have demanded that waste management, sewage control, water source protection and risk mitigation be carried out effectively.
Discussions have been ongoing between locals, the company and the concerned bodies on the issue of mine waste management from time to time.
