The committee said it took the decision in view of the adverse ecological and environmental impact caused in several districts in the southern belt of the country as thousands of tons of stones and sand are being exported to India in an uncontrolled manner for the last couple of years.
The committee has directed its sub-committee on forests and soil conservation to prepare a report on the export after field visits to the affected districts and consult the concerned authorities at the earliest possible.
The committee has issued directives to seven ministries -- Forests and Soil Conservation, Industry, Local Development, Commerce, Finance, Environment and Home Affairs -- in this regard.
- 500,000 truckloads of sand and stones exported to India per year
- Govt collected Rs 435.86 million as revenue this fiscal year
- Abhishek Pratap Sah of MPRF writes note of dissent
- Chure range, highways, bridges vulnerable due to extraction
"The export will be stopped immediately and will not resume until the sub-committee comes up with a conclusion on the matter. After the subcommittee´s recommendations, a full committee meeting will take final decision on future policy on the matter," Ram Sharan Ghimire, secretary of the committee, told myrepublica.com.
Parliamentarian Abhishek Pratap Sah, who represents Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) from Kapilvastu district, wrote a note of dissent over the decision saying that it was a conclusion drawn in haste.
Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara, said a volume of 500,000 truckloads of sand and stones is extracted from Nepali rivers to export to India a year. Many trucks used to transport such materials carry up to 27 tons each. In India, the materials are used to build roads, railroads and other constructions.
The decision was taken after all the parliamentarians in the 58-member committee raised serious concerns toward adverse impact on the rivers, Chure range, forests, highways, bridges and in other constructions in several districts due to extraction of sand and boulders from the rivers.
The lawmakers urged the authorities to immediately stop extraction and save important structures including Prithvi Highway and the East-West Highway, which are lifeline of the country. Parliamentarians said the highways and many bridges on the roads in several districts are in vulnerable condition due to the extraction of the materials.
"Nepal government has restricted trucks carrying more than 10 tons. But in practice, the trucks used to transport sands, grits and stones carry up to 27 tons," Bohara said.
The highways have been badly damaged due to the trucks carrying loads beyond the capacity of the roads, said Nepali Congress leader Laxman Ghimire.
According to the ministry of local development, so far in the current fiscal year, the government collected Rs 435.86 million in revenue from such contractors operating in the country. Government collected the amount from the contractors operating in Jhapa, Morang, Rupandehi, Bara, Udayapur, Kailali, Bardiya, Banke, Dang, Siraha, Makawanpur, Sindhuli, Kapilvastu, Parsa, Nawalparasi, Sunsari, Rautahat, Sarlahi, and Chitwan districts.
Parliamentarians said the amount collected by the government is insignificant in comparison to the environmental loss, damage to the highways, bridges and other losses incurred by the country. "Billions of rupees will be needed only to repair the infrastructure," Ghimire said.
The committee headed by Shanta Chaudhary also decided to extend the terms of its five subcommittees -- forests and soil conservation, land reforms and management, agriculture and co-operatives, and energy and irrigation -- by three months.
thira@myrepublica.com
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