Illegal Riverbed Mining Threatens Kali Gandaki River in Baglung

Baglung. The natural flow of the Kali Gandaki River has been diverted to facilitate illegal extraction of riverbed materials.

While illegal mining typically occurs under the cover of darkness during the monsoon, it has been discovered that the river's course is being diverted during the winter months to extract stones and sand in violation of established standards. At Kalakhola Bagar in Baglung Municipality-13, the river has been redirected toward Parbat district to enable the extraction of riverbed materials.

Although the municipality has contracted out areas including Kalakhola Bagar, Bhatekhola, and Galuwa Khola, the extraction process is endangering the river itself. It has been observed that during the winter, when water levels are low, the river's course is being altered to facilitate mining in Galuwa (Baglung-10) and Kalakhola (Baglung-13).

Stakeholders have raised concerns that the extraction, while permitted by the municipality, is being conducted in violation of environmental standards. The exploitation of the Kali Gandaki is causing soil erosion, increasing the risk of floods and landslides, and threatening settlements along the riverbanks in both Baglung and Parbat.

District Coordination Committee Chief Amar Bahadur Thapa stated that monitoring revealed the use of heavy machinery to excavate an area over 250 meters long, 50 meters wide, and seven meters deep at Kalakhola, and he has directed the municipality to take action.

Chief Thapa noted that while regulations require 30 percent manual labor, the use of 100 percent heavy machinery has fundamentally altered the river's structure. "Coordination is essential to stop this exploitation. While the municipality is collecting revenue, the extraction is clearly violating the set standards. The technical report distinguishes between authorized and illegal extraction," he said.

Thapa added, "If it is found that extraction has exceeded the municipality's permit, action will be taken. We have instructed the authorities to penalize those who have exceeded the contractual limits."

Following mounting pressure, authorities have begun on-site monitoring of the Kali Gandaki. Excessive mining is concentrated around Kalakhola and the Galuwa area. Although the Baglung Municipality's Environmental Impact Assessment permits extraction to a maximum depth of two meters, excavations reaching up to eight meters have been discovered.