The Papum Pare district administration has banned illegal fishing, hunting, forest destruction and extraction of natural resources etc in the district. The District Magistrate issued the prohibitory order in the wake of complaints received from various corners apprising of the same.
The wanton illegal extraction of sand and boulders from the river banks across Arunachal Pradesh is a grave problem —one that has led to major erosion and increased threat of flooding manifolds and the tremendous threat and distress such activity has put on the riverine ecosystem.
Respective district administrations have imposed bans prohibiting the collection of minor minerals like boulder, and shingles etc form the river banks but despite repeated orders, rampant and haphazard collection of minor minerals from gullies/nallahs and rivers are going on unabated. Besides strengthening the banks, sand serves as the habitat of many small species in the river. Sand also acts as an aquifer and helps to keep groundwater recharged. It helps to form a strong bank over the years that absorbs the force of the water and does not let it go out of its channel.
 The mushrooming of construction especially in urban areas of Arunachal has resulted in indiscriminate extraction of natural resources from the rivers. Day in and day out rivers are being mined by the truckloads without scant regard to its environmental consequences. Needed mostly for the construction of buildings, sand is a minor mineral that does not require permission from the central government, and getting clearance from the state government is also relatively easy.  
The mining of minor minerals which is going unchecked in many areas has had a disastrous impact on the environment. But despite the large-scale harm it causes sand, boulders etc. are still considered a minor mineral and thus comes under relaxed regulations. 
Such activities are a serious concern and are causing huge ecological imbalances in the rich flora and fauna of the region. An alert administration and citizenry is the only way to keep a check on such destructive activity. Administrations should not only pass a prohibitory ban and think that’s enough, it must follow through on its decision by acting on it thus sending a strong message.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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