Guwahati, Feb 21: Illegal sand mining has been going on unabated on the banks of Dehing river in Lezai-Khalakhowa Itakhuli area under Moran constituency in upper Assam Dibrugarh.
The people of the village are facing the erosion threat due to massive erosion in the area for last several years. Now the sand mafias are extracting sand from the bank of Dehing river, posing serous threat for the people.
Sources said everyday 700 trucks are extracting sand from the bank of the river. Using JCB, the sand mafias are operating in the area.
“Every year, the sand mafias are extracting sand from this area. If we intervent they threatened us. With the help of village women we have warned them to stop extracting sand from the area. After that with the help of police and JCB during night hours they are extracting sand from the area. When we asked them to show papers they could not show any valid documents. With the help of some corrupt forest officials they are operating the whole business,” alleged a villager.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Lezai-Khalakhowa Itakhuli had staged a protest against the illegal extracting of sand.
“Who have given them order to extract sand from the middle of the river. They also extracting sand near the pillar of the Dibrugarh-Sivasagar bridge. Every year they extract sand from Dehing river but this year they are using machines and JSB and everyday 70-80 trucks are used for transporting sands from the area. We asked the administration to intervent into the matter and stop illegal extraction of sand,” said another villager.