Mahalaxmi Constructions, which has been awarded the contract to build roads in Rajpur of Bardiya, has been extracting aggregates from the Karnali River.
According to a local, the construction company has been using six tippers to transport large rocks and sediments from the river.
The area was already at high risks of flooding and land erosion, but extracting aggregates from the river bank has made the situation worse, some locals complained. They have urged the company to stop mining the sand and stones from the river several times, but all in vain.
"We tried to stop the use of excavator in the river but couldn't," he said. He also claimed that some locals have been supporting the company for extracting aggregates for their petty interests.
Meanwhile, Local Development Officer (LDO) Tej Raj Sharma of the District Development Committee (DDC) of Bardiya, has said he has not received any official information regarding the illegal extraction.
Although Rajpur-based Area Administration Office Chief Arjun Kumar Subedi admitted that excavation of aggregates from the Karnali River was going on unchecked, he pointed to the DDC as the body responsible for conserving natural resources. He, nonetheless, said that he would take initiation to stop mining.
The DDC Kailali showed unaware of the mining. But Yogendra Chand, the planning section head at the office, said that he will find out the reality only after consulting the contractor.
With unabated mining at the Karnali River, locals fear floods and erosion during the upcoming monsoon. Almost every monsoon, the Karnali River overflows and washes away lands on both sides of Kailali and Bardiya every monsoon.
Related story
Ban on extraction of aggregates from Bagmati River
