ALL SAND GHATS IS CLOSED FOR THREE MONTHS IN BHOJPUR

Ara, 30 June 2023, (RNI): Sand mining in Bhojpur district will be closed from July 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023 affecting the private and government construction works. Now no excavation of sand will be done on the river Sone for three months. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) closes the sand ghats during rainy season from July to September every year merely to maintain atmospheric equilibrium and also saves lives of boatmen, fishermen and sand labourers from devastating flood in the river Sone.

District Mines Officer Anand Prakash said that construction works would be affected as the department has arranged buffer stocks of sand everywhere from Koelwar to Sandesh via Sahar. The people having licenses arranged buffer sand stock. But most of these license holders are sand contractors who dominate sand ghats every year.

Despite sand was stocked illegally at different villages of Koelwar, Sandesh, Sahar, Tarari blocks on one hand while on the other, many people have stored sand by excavating more than the storage proscribed by the department gnawing at the state exchequer. If the department and the district administration investigate, a lot of irregularities will be surfaced. The sand mafias have increased rate of the sand as ever in the name of closure of sand ghats. They sell the sand at exorbitant prices. Now it is up to the district administration to control the sand prices so that the people could get sand at reasonable prices.

Even after closure of sand ghats, the sand mafias, in violation of directives of the NGT, excavate and sell sand every year during the closure period. Now it has to be seen how effective the district administration is in stopping illegal excavation of sand mafias so that the environment can be protected and the direction of the NGT can be followed in letter and spirit.

Residents of Bhojpur district said that in spite of closure of excavation of sand, the district administration and even the Mines Department should ban taking sand from Bhojpur to Chhapara, Saran, Patna, Balia and also in different districts of Uttar Pradesh, otherwise people will continue to suffer a lot from problem of traffic jam. Most of the time of the people is wasted due to traffic jam that adversely affects their life. People have to bear a great loss when their works are not done or completed due to traffic jam.

Besides, a number of trucks and tractors laden with sand came out of sand pits from the Sand Ghats at Koelwar, Sandesh, Sahar that the villagers are afraid of go out of their house apprehending accidents. Several persons have so far been killed under the wheels of the sand laden trucks or tractors but the sand mafias could not be stopped so far though the district administration raided several times and arrested many sand mafias but they always overpower the officials. In addition to this, the roads are designed for a certain load and roads become non-commutable as they are full of ditches due to overload. Again in the repair or construction of road crores of rupees are spent which are realized from people in turn in some form or other.

The District Mines Officer said that sand prices will be controlled even after closure of sand ghats and action would also be taken on selling sand at a higher price.