A cabinet meeting four years ago had declared the area in Dingarnagar of Drivertole, Das Number of Nayamill, Pauni and Semari as conservation areas and banned excavation of sand and pebbles.

According to locals, personnel at the police posts in Drivetole and Mangalapur have been bribed by the smugglers to excavate sand and gravel from the area.

“We are finding it hard to control illegal mining due to the police’s hand behind the incident. Police are reluctant to arrest the smugglers and instead assist them,” said an office bearer of River Conservation Committee at Shankarnagar on the condition of anonymity.

More than 30 tractors with sands and gravels are smuggled from the conserved area daily, locals said. They accused police of arresting some of the smugglers at times only to cover up their failure to control illegal mining.

 Upendra Gyawali, programme officer at the District Development Committee, said that they have been informed that illegal mining with the help of police remains unchecked, adding that they do not have adequate manpower to curb the illegal business and that they have requested the District Administration Office to look into it.

Assistant Sub Inspector Prakash Shahi at the police post in Drivertole, however, refuted the allegation claiming that the illegal mining has comparatively been controlled than in previous years.  

Sub Inspector at the police post in Mangalapur Top Bahadur Rana said that he transferred 11 police personnel accused of assisting smugglers in illegal mining.