Karnali river changes course due to rampant extraction of aggregates BARDIYA, March 11: Indiscriminate extraction of sand and stones from Karnali River has changed the course of the river. As a result, the river floods areas in its vicinity during monsoon every year. Flood in the Karnali River had swept away some 5,000 houses three years ago but illegal extraction of sand and stones from the river continues unabated. “The river has changed its course toward the west,” said Chaitu Tharu, a local of Gola VDC, adding, “The river now poses a grave risk to the Bardiya National Park (BNP).” To make matters worse, deforestation in the Chure hills has aggravated the situation. According to Ashok Bhandari, conservation officer at BNP, the change in the course of the river has started affecting the ecology and natural disasters are more likely to occur. He said if illegal extraction of aggregates from the rivers is not checked soon it would invite great disasters. “Change in the course of Karnali River has affected tourism since we are no longer able provide rafting services,” said a tourism entrepreneur. Earlier, the crusher plants on the river exported sand and stones extracted from the river to India. Now, they are supplying aggregates to development projects. The government should be aware of the adverse effects of rampant extraction of sand and stones from the rivers. Embankments have been built around 11 VDCs in Bardia to prevent the villages from flooding during monsoon. However, locals have been demanding a sustainable solution to the problem. Though the district-based customs office says that the crusher plants have stopped exporting aggregates to India, locals claim export of aggregates continues through secret routes. Published on 2014-03-11 07:22:47 source: myrepublica/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=70477
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 13:06:25 +0000
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