Massive Illegal Excavation and Smuggling of Stones Uncovered in Nijgadh Municipality, Allegations of Official Collusion Surface

A large-scale illegal excavation and smuggling of stones have been discovered in Nijgadh Municipality. Allegations have surfaced suggesting the collusion of concerned government bodies in this activity. Last year, approximately NPR 60 million worth of seized stones disappeared, and this year, more than 56,000 cubic meters of stones confiscated by the municipality have gone missing again.

Illegal stone theft and smuggling occur year-round from the Bakaiya River, Chure, and forest areas under the municipality. Collecting river-based materials before the river contract is awarded is legally prohibited. Crusher and sand industrialists operating illegally within the municipality (those without renewal or on public land) have been collecting and selling stones illicitly through local tractor operators. This activity has been ongoing in Nijgadh for a long time.

Last year, the District Coordination Committee (DCC) conducted an on-site inspection, confirmed the quantity of illegally stockpiled stones, and directed their confiscation and auctioning. However, because the municipality failed to initiate the process in time, stones worth about NPR 60 million vanished from the field.

More seriously, the municipality had re-advertised the remaining 67,732 cubic meters of stones from last year for NPR 21.6 million this year. But, according to the municipality's technical branch, 56,074 cubic meters of those stones are now missing, with only 11,658.93 cubic meters remaining in stock.

Among the 16 local bodies in Bara, Nijgadh is considered the most resource-rich. This municipality, connected to the Chure hills, has abundant river-based materials necessary for large infrastructure projects. Recently, a significant amount of stone was collected during the construction of the Tarai-Madhes-Kathmandu Expressway. Despite this, the municipality's failure to award river contracts on time has emboldened some crusher and sand industrialists, resulting in the loss of millions in revenue for the federal, provincial, and local governments.

Bishan Sapkota, Ward Chairman of Nijgadh Municipality Ward No. 4, stated that illegal stone theft and smuggling cannot be controlled and monitored by the local level alone. He said, 'This is not something you can carry in your pocket; you don't know when they steal it day or night. Monitoring must be done by all parties; the local administration must also pay attention.' Stones illegally excavated are piled up in Kachadiya Tole on public land along the Bakaiya River in Ward No. 4.

Jeevan Gautam, Information Officer for Nijgadh Municipality, stated that the administration should take responsibility for whether stone theft and smuggling are occurring from the river. Information Officer Gautam said, 'We have repeatedly corresponded with the administration regarding stone theft, but they have shown little interest. Since the seized stones were not contracted last year, we have issued a notice again this year.'

The former Mayor, Suresh Khanal, used to collect an annual revenue of NPR 12 to 16 crore from the Bakaiya, Dhansar, and Lal rivers. However, the contract for the rivers, which should have been awarded in the first week of Asoj, has not even had any process started by the first week of Chaitra this year. The municipality stated that the contract could not be awarded because the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the rivers has not been approved by the Provincial Ministry of Forest.

Bara's Chief District Officer (CDO) Dharmendra Kumar Mishra commented that the primary responsibility for controlling theft and smuggling lies with the municipality until the contract agreement for river-based materials is finalized. He advised the municipality to seize illegally stolen and stockpiled stones, gravel, and sand and initiate legal action.