District Monitoring Committees' (DMC) recent monitoring visit to some of the stone mining and crusher industries operated along the Highway revealed that some of these firms were involved in both mining and crushing activities, without license. Most of these were licensed for either of the activities but were involvied in other activity also without having necessary authorization.
Existing laws considers both mining and crusher as separate activities and any firm that wants to involve in both activities must acquire separate licenses for both. However, the monitoring team found that most of the such firms along the Highway were operating mining and crusher factories by holding license for either of them.
"Crusher industries are supposed to only process mined raw materials not mine them. During the monitoring we found that some crusher factories, which possessed license for operating crusher only, were involved in mining also," Sudharshan Prashad Dhakal, chairman of the monitoring committee said. Dhakal, who was recently posted to the district as its chief district officer, informed that the committee has issued strict directives to such companies to immediately stop their illegal business.
Along with this, over a dozen such factories operated in the area were found to be seriously flouting the terms mentioned in the license during registration, the directives issued by respective government agencies on many occasions and the conditions mentioned in the initial environmental examination (IEE) report.
Pashupati Roda Dhunga Udyog, operating at Methinkot-5 of the district, was ordered to stop its operation after it was found to be involved in mining stones from the nearby community forest without even holding a license for it. On top of that the factory had mining stones by affecting the community forest area and had not responded to repeated attempts of the community forest user groups for not doing so, Dhakal informed.
Similarly Nangshal Roda Dunga Udyog located at Kharpachowk-2, was found to be seriously flaunting EII terms and conditions by dumping all the industrial waste into the Roshi rivulet, forcing the rivulet to change its course and endangering nearby farms and settlement. The factory, which is co-owned by Constituent Assembly member of Kavre constituency number 1 Tirtha Lama, was found to be warned of discontinuing such practices previously also, Dhakal said.
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