From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Concerned over the illegal collection of stones and boulders from River Lukha in East Jaintia Hills by the National Building Construction Company, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Narpuh Circle, who visited the area on Monday asked all NBCC labourers to stop the extraction and collection of stones and boulders from the river.
A team of KSU activists led by its President, RM Bamon, visited the Lukha River at Borsara village and found that the NBCC, with the help of some local people, were collecting boulders from the river.
The KSU asked the local labourers engaged by the NBCC to immediately stop the extraction and collection of stones and boulder from the Lukha river.
The NBCC was allotted the international border fencing work, which is ongoing at Dona village.
“The NBCC should not destroy any natural resources in the area,” the KSU said adding, “We don’t understand why the company wanted free material for the border fencing.”
The KSU also alleged that some locals, particularly Lowis Lamin, Michael Rymbai and Hamlet Suja were the main agents of the NBCC in the collection of stones and boulders.
According to Bamon, members of the KSU had earlier visited the area and asked the labourers to stop the illegal activities but the local agents turned against them.
“The Project Manager, Biswajeet Deb lodged a complaint against the members of the KSU stating that the KSU members have interrupted and disturbed the progress of works.”
The KSU had earlier lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner, East Jaintia Hills, Forest and Environment Department and also to the Deputy Superintendent of the Police Department to look into the matter seriously.
“Though we have lodged the complaints, none of the authority have taken up the matters,” the KSU Narpuh Circle said. “We also strongly condemned the NBCC Project Manager for trying to mislead us.”
The KSU informed that leaders of the students’ body had lodged a similar complaint earlier but no action was taken.
The KSU Narpuh Circle has expressed that the illegal collection of boulders and stone from within the Lukha River has badly affected the ecosystem and beauty of the river.
“We have the copy of the Order issued by the Fishery Departments and also by the Forest Department restricted the collection of any natural resources from streams and rivers,” the KSU said adding that the Ranger (forest official) posted at Umkiang has also failed to check the transportation of stones and boulders to the company.
“We strongly suspected that the NBCC has brainwashed some of the greedy local people.”
The KSU has also called upon all the residents to stand united against such companies who are involed in the illegal collection of materials.