local activists are alleging that illegal quarrying of river bed material (RBM) is being undertaken inside the Rajaji national park in the name of flood protection works. The quarrying had been ordered in the Ganga and Song rivers by the Dehradun district magistrate using powers accorded to him under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
However, activists are alleging that in absence of pre determined quantity of RBM to be quarried, the contractor and locals are exploiting the situation and quarrying the RBM illegally. The Rajaji field director said that only those tractors are being allowed to carry the material which have been permitted by the Irrigation Department junior engineer. It will be recalled that in a letter to the Rajaji field director SP Subudhi dated July 19, the Dehradun DM had informed that in the Rishikesh Tehsil, Ganga and Song rivers had caused much erosion of the banks at Gohrimafi which would pose a threat to the Boksa Basti and other settlements in case of flood.
Using his powers under the Disaster Management Act, the DM had permitted the Irrigation Department had been permitted to lift RBM from the riverbeds for repairing and building embankments for flood protection and the Rajaji director was requested to co-operate.
local activists have been alleging that there is lack of effective monitoring of this work due to which RBM is being quarried for private and commercial works apart from the intended use for flood protection works.
The Rajaji field director said that the Irrigation Department junior engineer had handed over permits to tractors and only these were being allowed to transport the quarried material.
“We have not been informed about the quantity of material to be quarried so we cannot know if more than required quantity is being
lifted. However, the Irrigation Department is monitoring the task and if further measures are needed then it is under the purview of the district administration,” said Subudhi.