New standards have been set in Dhading district to regulate crusher, sand-washing along with sand and stone mining firms operating mostly near Prithvi highway and in the banks of Trishuli River. A working committee formed under the leadership of District Coordination Committee (DCC) coordinator Jagannath Nepal have put forth 6 standards.

The new standards were set at a meeting of the working committee on Tuesday chaired by DCC coordinator Nepal. The working committee includes chairmen of various municipalities and rural municipalities along with Dhading Chief District Officer Shayam Prasad Bhandari and high-ranking army and police personnel.

According to the new standards, any crusher or sand-washing firm can only operate from 6 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening. Firms whose power supply was cut two weeks ago can only receive the permit after a joint supervision of the local body, DCC, Department of Survey, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), Small and Cottage Industries Development Committee and the local administration.

Likewise, such firms are required to install technology to make murky water clear and to separate thick and viscous material in muddy water before draining out the water from factories.

All firms are mandated to install a three-level water tank to separate muddy elements in the water.

Two weeks earlier, supervision carried out by the Riverbed Materials Supervision and Coordination Committee of the district cut the supply of power of 29 crusher and 65 sand-washing firms after they were found violating various rules. The supervision was carried out in response to mounting complaints to check pollution of Trishuli River and other rivers of the districts and to resolve increasing problems faced by various local bodies.

The committee cut off the power supply after it found the mine operators bribing NEA officials to divert electricity supply meant for rice mills or block-manufacturing firms to sand-washing firms.

The new standards also mandate that a sand-washing firm should operate away from the area of the river and at least 100m from the nearest highway. Public area cannot be encroached for operating any factory related to river-bed materials, according to the new standard.

 “We have considered ongoing reconstruction work after the earthquake before setting up the new code of conduct which will remain effective till mid-July,” said Nepal. “Any crusher or sand-washing firm found violating the standard would be blacklisted and banned from operating.” Dhading has become the first district ever to enact standards to regulate firms involved in extraction, operation and sale of riverbed materials.