Baglung. There is a provision that river products cannot be extracted on contract during the rainy season. The Kaligandaki river, which flows through Baglung and Parbat, is being exploited against the legal provision that prohibits the extraction of river products from June to September 15.

Illegal sand has been extracted from more than 100 places on the Baglung and Parbat sides of the Kaligandaki River. Crusher entrepreneurs are exploiting river products even in the middle of the night to evade the eyes of the locals.

Kaligandaki river was receding at Bhatekhola Bagar in Sahasradhara area at 9 pm on Saturday. One excavator was extracting sand from Kaligandaki while five tippers were carrying sand. It is not only Bhatekhola Bagar of Baglung, but it can now be seen from a dozen places that river products are being exploited and stored near the river.

During the rainy season, the sand brought by Kaligandaki has been collected illegally and sold to the consumers throughout the winter at a high price. Locals say they are collecting river products at night.

Coordinator of Kaligandaki Bachao Abhiyan RK Adipta Giri said that the exploitation is taking place at Dablang of Baglung municipality-10 and Kalakhola Bagar of Bhatekhola-13 ward. He stressed on the need for the local government to take strict action while illegal rivers are being exploited.

According to Giri, the holy Kaligandaki Dohohan flowing through Myagdi, Parbat and Baglung has also put shalgram rock in danger. According to him, river products are being exploited more in the mountain section while exploitation is taking place in Bhatekhola, Khaniyaghat and Dablang areas across sahasradhara towards Baglung.

Giri said that although there is a legal provision not to exploit the kaligandaki river from June to September 15, the local level, administration and district coordination committee blame each other for the exploitation of the Kaligandaki river at the time of storing river products in the mid-year.

He said that the concerned bodies have ignored the efforts being made by the citizens to stop the exploitation of the river. According to him, exploitation is getting shelter due to the silence of the police administration and the local level.

“Exploitation is not possible without the connivance of the police administration, there is a police in Maldhunga and there is a repeat in the vicinity,” giri said. Kalakhola Bagar has been cut due to the promotion of exploitation and revenue of the local bodies is being lost.

Giri complained that the concerned bodies of Baglung and Parbat districts have not paid any attention even when the river is being exploited from the middle of Kaligandaki. According to him, according to the Standards related to stone, pebbles, sand mining, sale and management, 2077 BS, stones, pebbles and sand can be mined only 500 meters away from the banks of rivers and rivulets.

Giri said that the destruction of kaligandaki river, which is considered an indicator of civilization, is like destroying our human civilization. Stating that no one has the right to disturb the ecosystem and destroy the natural resources, Giri opined that there was no alternative to public pressure and advocacy at the state level to save the Kaligandaki river civilization.

Houses in Majhi Basti, Maldhunga and Kalakhola Bagar areas of Baglung Municipality-1 are at high risk of floods due to the continuation of river exploitation in violation of rules.

Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Baglung, Tilak Bharti, admitted that although the police have been mobilized for the protection of river products, they have not been able to stop the exploitation. Stating that the exploitation has not stopped due to the inability of the local level to award contracts and fear of losing revenue, he said that there is a plan to mobilize police in plain clothes in the areas where the river is being exploited by formulating a new strategy.