SHILLONG: The KHADC has decided to write to the State Government to revoke the order of Ri-Bhoi Deputy Commissioner to impose Section 144 CrPC to ban sand mining and stone quarrying in Ri-Bhoi district.
While replying to a discussion on this issue initiated by Sohra MDC Tistosstarwell Chyne on the second day of the Council Autumn Session on Thursday, KHADC CEM Pynshngaiñ N Syiem assured that the Executive Committee would send a formal letter next week to the Government requesting it to revoke the order of the Deputy Commissioner.
Syiem said that they would seek the opinion of a legal expert while drafting the letter to be submitted to the State Government.
“The District Administration might have issued this order since they do not have any knowledge of the prevailing land custom,” KHADC CEM said.
He said that the State Government should have taken the Council and the traditional institutions into confidence before issuing this order.
While initiating the discussion on the issue, Chyne said that majority of the land was owned by the people. “Therefore, this decision to impose this order is like taking away the employment opportunities of many of the people. In fact, many have opposed to this decision,” Sohra MDC said.
While admitting that the Government took the decision with an intention to protect the environment, he however felt that the people have the right to extract resources in their own land.
Sohra MDC however urged the Council to take this issue seriously so that the people are not affected by this order of the Deputy Commissioner.
He also stated that the directive of the National Green Tribunal is applicable only in the plain and not in the scheduled areas where the land does not belong to the Government.
Mylliem MDC Teilinia Thangkhiew expressed her disappointment that the Government issued the order without even bothering to inform the Council.
Congress MDC from Nongkrem Lambor Malngiang however suggested that the Council should appoint a delegation to meet the Government to deliberate on this issue.
Earlier, Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner, Pooja Pandey, had issued an order prohibiting illegal digging of sand from river beds located in and around the district.
As per this order, individual persons and companies are not allowed to dig sand from the river beds without getting clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and the State Environmental Assessment Authority.
This order came following a directive issued by the National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi with an intention to protect and preserve the environment including river bodies by banning the rampant digging of sand from river beds.