Assam: Villagers rally against sand gravel mining in Boko

A mass protest rally was organized on Wednesday by villagers from Kompaduli, Lepgaon, Bamunpara, Kothalpara, Gohalkona, Kacharipara, and Jongakhuli against the ongoing sand gravel mining from the Boko River in Kompaduli village. The rally highlighted growing concerns over the environmental impacts of the mining activities.

The protest was led by the Gohalkona Border Area Women’s Welfare and Youth Development organizations, alongside leaders from the Garo Students Union (GSU) Assam Zone and the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS). In a public meeting held as part of the demonstration, Johnson A. Sangma, leader of the Border Area Youths Development Organization, raised alarm over the detrimental effects of the sand gravel mining on the local ecosystem. 

Sangma stated that the mining has resulted in a significant drop in the Boko River's water levels, which has, in turn, harmed farmland and contaminated drinking water. He claimed the pollution was so severe that even animals were refusing to drink the river water. 

“The mining is like cancer for this area, threatening aquatic life, the environment, and the livelihoods of local communities,” Sangma remarked. He further alleged that the mining operations were violating government regulations, which had already led to the deaths of two individuals.

Concerns were also raised regarding infrastructure damage, with Sangma noting that overloaded dump trucks carrying sand gravel were likely to cause rapid deterioration of the newly constructed road from Boko to Kompaduli.

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GSU Assam State Zone President Foldin R. Marak called upon Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to immediately halt the mining activities. He announced that GSU, in collaboration with local residents, would submit a memorandum to the state government, urging them to close the mining operations.

On the other hand, Range Officer Bhagabh Hazarika of Singra Forest expressed skepticism about the protests. He claimed that external influences were instigating the local villagers against the government-approved mining project. Hazarika emphasized that the government was attempting to generate revenue through the Assam Mineral Development Corporation Ltd., which had been granted mining rights in the area for a seven-year period starting from 2023.

The forest department, he added, had made multiple attempts to engage the villagers in discussions to address their concerns, but the invitations went unanswered. Hazarika also noted that no formal written complaints had been submitted by the villagers regarding the mining issues.

Meanwhile, SMSS leader Rahul Choudhury delivered a fiery speech at the public meeting, vowing that protests would continue until the state government shuts down the mining operations. He even threatened to escalate the demonstrations to the Divisional Forest Office, the Assam Secretariat, or the Chief Minister’s residence if no action was taken. Choudhury further suggested that the matter could be raised in the state assembly with the support of Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi.

As the situation intensifies, the future of the sand gravel mining operations in Boko remains uncertain, with both environmental and economic factors at play.