The loss of more than Rs1 crore per day due to ‘illegal’ collection of the riverbed materials from the Gola river in Haldwani comes as a serious cause of concern for the State Government. Alleged nexus between the officials concerned and traders associated with the collection of riverbed material has only given rise to illegal collection of riverbed materials. Absence of CCTVs from the exit points on the Gola riverbank has only raised doubts over the nexus between the traders associated with collection of riverbed materials and officials concerned.
Expressing concern over missing of CCTVs from the exit points along the Goal riverbanks during inspection here on Sunday, Harish Dhami, chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UFDC), said that it was surprising to know that there is no CCTV at the exit points where collection of riverbed materials is going on in the Gola river.
However, he strongly asked the officials concerned to install CCTVs on all sensitive points so that illegal collection of riverbed materials could be prevented and action could be taken against the culprits. Giving a dressing down to the officials concerned present on this occasion, Dhami said that natural resources are the huge source of income of the State Government.
Traders indulged in illegal mining and those officials concerned who are found careless in checking illegal exploitation of natural resources will be dealt strictly, Dhami asserted. As the illegal collection of the riverbed materials suggested today, it seems the State Government is losing Rs1 crore as revenue per day. During the raids as many as 14 vehicles were found carrying 35 quintal riverbed materials illegally. There are about 300 vehicles presently indulged in illegal collection of riverbed materials from the Gola river, added Dhami.
It is to note that collection of riverbed materials from the Gola river comes not only as a huge source or revenue for the State Government but also provides jobs to a strong workforce i.e. more than 60,000 people comprising labourers and vehicle owners. But illegal mining continues to go unabated in Uttarakhand. The opposition parties have raised the issue of illegal mining time and again. More so, Chief Minister Harish Rawat during his Kumaon visit last month claimed to have directed the officials concerned of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar district administrations to strictly deal with the ‘mafia’ involved in illegal mining. But little has c changed on the ground.