Heavy mining in Manipur riverbeds banned, says CM N Biren Singh

IMPHAL: Chief minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday informed the assembly that the cabinet has resolved to ban mining of minerals, including sand in riverbeds, with the help of machines in the state.

However, manual mining will be streamlined considering the livelihood of the manual labourers, he said, while responding to a calling attention motion raised by legislator Surjakumar Okram of the opposition Congress in the ongoing assembly session.

The manual workers can continue their work with prior permission from commerce and industries and forest departments, the CM added.

Biren informed the House that the government has taken up steps from time to time by arresting the persons involved in illegal mining and quarrying, especially in the Thoubal river. For the survival strategy, the people are illegally mining sand and others neglecting the consequences that affect the future generation.

Activities that are disastrous to the environment will be seriously dealt with as per the law, the leader of the house said. Biren said recently, the government conducted a drive to clean the river banks of the Imphal river stretching from Kangpokpi to Imphal.

Because of felling of trees in the hills around Singda area, the Singda dam is drying up, leading to scarcity of drinking water.

Replying to queries, relief and disaster management minister Awangbow Newmai stated that the government declared drought during Kharif-2019 on August 31 of the same year. Based on the field survey on various parameters, the state government sought Rs 151.04 crore as relief assistance from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), Newmai said, adding that the ministry sanctioned Rs 26.53 crore in 2020 as assistance.

Textiles, commerce and industries minister Nemcha Kipgen informed the house that no stone crusher is permitted/licensed to function in paddy land.

The permit/licence for stone crushers is issued under “The Manipur Factories Rules, 2021,” the minister added.