POKHARA, Jan 13: It has been found that crusher plants are operating without registration in Kaski. The illegally-operated crusher plants also do not meet the standards, and are not paying taxes. During a monitoring of river and mineral resources in the district by Kaski District Monitoring Committee, it was also found that the crusher plants were registered under the name of fertilizer factories.
Liladhar Paudel, head of the District Coordination Committee, Kaski and coordinator of the monitoring committee said, crusher plants were found operating without registration, did not pay taxes, and did not meet the required standards. He added that two crusher plants located at Shiva Shakti in Pokhara-33 and Karyaksiddhi in Pokhara-29 have been closed.
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"We have also drawn the attention of the relevant agencies about the crusher plants that are operating against the purpose," he added.
The District Coordination Committee has mentioned that the water supply pipe of Pokhara is at risk due to the mining carried out by a crusher plant. According to residents of Pokhara, the crusher plant is placed near the water source which has increased the risk of safety of the drinking water pipes. Poudel, the coordinator of the monitoring committee, said that a concrete bridge connecting Pokhara-19 and Pokhara-25 collapsed due to the extraction of materials from the river by a crusher industry.
He said that a concrete embankment built to prevent land erosion below Tamuchonj Dhi at Shanti Ghat in Pokhara Nayabazar is on the verge of collapse. “The water level is getting deeper. The embankment has reached a state of collapse after the deepening of the Seti river due to extreme extraction,” he said. He emphasized that all concerned authorities should be directed towards protecting the environment by shutting down such crusher plants. The committee decided to conduct an on-site monitoring of such crusher plants after receiving complaints.
The local residents had complained that the crusher plants have had an adverse effect on the environment and development infrastructure. Following the increase in public complaints, the district authorities said that the monitoring committee was formed to understand the legality and operational status of such plants, taking into account the environmental impact.
"According to the data received from the police and the government office concerned, there are only 15 crusher plants," said Paudel, “I am not sure how many others are operating without registration.”
