Sindhupalchok – A field inspection of crusher industries operating in Sindhupalchok district has begun. On Monday, a high-level government team conducted a site visit to several crushers in Chautara Sangachokgadhi Municipality-11. The team included District Coordination Committee (DCC) Chief Bal Krishna Shrestha, Deputy Chief Padmanath Nepal, Chief District Officer (CDO) Kiran Thapa, District Police Chief Santosh Khadka, Chief of the National Investigation Department Rajan Prajapati, Chief of Armed Police Force Rajeshwar Khanal, and other officials from the Department of Industry and Commerce, Treasury Office, and Forest Office.
During the inspection, CDO Kiran Thapa announced that similar inspections would be conducted in all crusher industries across the district to check for illegal excavation in nearby rivers and take necessary legal action. DCC Chief Bal Krishna Shrestha criticized the crusher operators for ignoring warnings and failing to account for stockpiled materials from the previous year. He emphasized that crushers operating outside legal frameworks would face strict action following on-site monitoring.
District Police Chief Santosh Khadka noted that the inspection was launched in response to numerous public complaints. He revealed that some crushers were found operating within 500 meters of roads, violating regulations, and assured that the administration would soon take action.
Among the industries inspected were Sindhu Stone and Construction, Shree Kalinchowk Bhagwati Aggregate Industries, Bandeu Crusher Industry, and Bachhaladevi Aggregate Crusher. Illegal sand excavation was discovered during the inspection, and tippers loaded with sand were seized for further legal action. Bachhaladevi Aggregate’s operator, Indra Raj Giri, was caught with two drums of diesel in the river, and an excavator was hidden nearby. When reporters captured video and photos, Giri misbehaved with journalist Netra Basnet, attempting to prevent the footage from being published.
While other operators expressed their commitment to comply with regulations, Giri blamed the municipality for not processing permits and refusing to accept tax payments. He claimed that the hidden excavator and diesel belonged to the municipality. When officials proceeded to inspect the site with police personnel, Giri became hostile.
Despite a government ban on riverbed mining during the monsoon season, many crushers have been illegally excavating materials and stockpiling them. Authorities are now under pressure to act against these operators. Although past inspections were conducted by the District Administration Office, DCC, Department of Industry and Commerce, and Division Forest Office, enforcement has been weak, allowing illegal operations to continue unchecked.
Regulations stipulate that crushers and sand-processing industries must be located at least two kilometers from forests and settlements, 500 meters from rivers and highways, and 1,500 meters from the Chure range. However, no crusher in Sindhupalchok has adhered to these standards. The unregulated activities have altered river flows, causing public lands to be treated as private property and leading to landslides that have rendered farmland unusable.
The Ward Chair of Ward No. 11 confirmed that the crusher operator had not attempted to pay taxes, contradicting Giri’s claims. He assured that the local government would fully cooperate in taking legal action against anyone operating outside the law.
The community now waits to see whether authorities will follow through with decisive action to shut down illegal crushers and hold violators accountable.
