Several villages in Assam and Meghalaya have raised concerns over environmental impact of extensive sand mining in the Manda (Dudhnoi) river. Unregulated sand mining has led to significant riverine erosion, rendering these areas unsafe for habitation.
Residents of Nokmakundi and Kakalipara filed complaints with the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara, highlighting the increased vulnerability to erosion caused by sand mining in the river's middle sections.
During a visit to Goalpara's flood-prone districts, state minister Piyush Hazarika gave officials instructions to [stop soil erosion and install protective measures](http://Residents of Nokmakundi and Kakalipara) in Dudhnoi. According to district officials, sand mining was allowed after getting No Objection Certificate from some locals and also permission from the Directorate of Geology and Mining.
Even as at least seven villages across both States have been impacted, the NOC was obtained from only one village comprising just a few households. The seven villages filed a joint complaint to the DC of Goalpara.
The forest department officials visited the area to speak to the people. However, the meeting could not take place because the team arrived late and the villagers had dispersed by then.
Brayan Marak, a resident of Kasumari village said “How can the forest department accept NOC from just one village to allow sand mining at such scale, when at least seven villages are impacted by their decision? We want them to stop the mining with immediate effect as it is causing irreversible damage to many places along the river banks in both Assam and Meghalaya. This just shows they were desperate to allow such an operation to take place without assessing what would happen.”
Another villager from Nokmakundi said, “We are scared of getting close to the bank of the river as it is fast eroding this year, following the operation of at least six pumps to mine sand. Our area has always been a quiet zone but these operators have made life difficult. We even had to cut down many trees in fear as they could drag more ground near the bank. What is crazy is that they have no consent to operate from us.”
Villagers stated that similar attempts to mine Manda river were made last year by some parties, however, prompt action was taken after a complaint was filed to the District Collector.
The continuous sand mining has also had an impact on the Manda Eco-Tourism Centre, which is located along the riverbank.
Khanindra Chaudhury, the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara, said that mining activities have been halted due to complaints, and that the forest fepartment was visiting the area to listen to peoples' complaints. He affirmed that mining was occurring with approval from the government but had been halted due to residents' protests.
Goalpara DC said, “The mining and geological department approved the mining, but it has been stopped since complaints arose. The Forest department is currently taking hearings of people in the area and we will wait for a report from the department. We will take a call after assessment has been done. Since it is a government approved initiative, we cannot suddenly stop operations and will have to wait for sanction.”
The affected individuals said that they would be forced to protest in order to save their homes and lands if the authorities did not intervene. Wind Marak, secretary of Nokmakundi, said, “We appeal to the authorities to take action on the matter, otherwise we ourselves will have to come out in the streets to protest. After all, our lands are in danger from these acts and we just cannot continue to be silent.”
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Assam
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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