The government has formed Monitoring and Coordination Committee in a bid to regulate construction aggregate industry.

The committee will oversee the excavation of aggregates like sand and stones from rivers to check over-mining and regulate their trade, said Purusottam Nepal, joint secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.

Nepal said the ministry recently formed the committee in coordination with the chiefs of District Coordination Committees (DCC), and its members include DCC deputy chiefs, chief district officers, district police chiefs, representatives of District Forest Offices and officials of the Environment and Soil Conservation Monitoring Committee.

The committee can issue necessary orders to local units concerning the excavation of aggregates and monitor whether the excavations are being carried out as per the environmental standard, he said. The committee will coordinate efforts with the concerned local units to see if crusher plants are operating in compliance with regulations as well as keep close tab on revenue collection.

Local units have been empowered by the committee to stop excavation works if a crusher plant or a construction aggregate trader is found violating the regulations, Nepal said.