Villagers, Village Heads in Dima Hasao Oppose Proposed Stone Mining in Diyung Riverbed, Threaten Agitation

 HAFLONG, Oct 9: Residents and Village Gaon Buras (village heads) of nine villages under the 21-Hadingma MAC Constituency in Dima Hasao district have submitted a formal objection letter to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Dima Hasao Forest Division (West), demanding the immediate withdrawal of a proposed stone mining plan along the Diyung Riverbed.

The objection, dated October 5, 2026, pertains to a proposal to extract stone from the Diyung Riverbed, stretching from the Diyung RCC bridge up to Lodingbra (down stretch). The initiative, reportedly prepared under the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) and submitted for forest approval, has triggered widespread concern, shock, and resentment among local indigenous communities.

In the official memorandum, representatives from villages including Disru-Raji, Berelangdisa, Hojai, Jorai, Samparidisa, Nobdi Daulagupu, Gurbari, Disagutu, and Boro Longren cited gross procedural and legal violations.

They alleged that the project was initiated without mandatory public consultations, Gram Sabha consent, or a Social Impact Assessment (SIA). The memorandum further claimed that the mining proposal was artificially fragmented into block-wise segments—a deliberate tactic, local leaders contend, designed to bypass mandatory public hearings and circumvent rigorous environmental scrutiny.

Highlighting ecological risks, local representatives pointed to past stone extraction activities along the Harangajao, Mahur, and Jatinga rivers, which resulted in severe riverbank erosion, loss of aquatic biodiversity, depletion of groundwater levels, and irreversible damage to local agriculture and livelihoods.

"Both rivers are now ruined and ecologically degraded, serving as painful evidence of the dangers of unregulated riverbed mining," the memorandum noted, warning that similar activities on the Diyung River—considered a crucial lifeline for drinking water, irrigation, and fishing—would lead to an environmental catastrophe affecting thousands of tribal residents.

The villagers and Gaon Buras submitted a list of key demands to the forest administration:

Immediate stoppage and complete withdrawal of the proposed Stone Mining Plan along the Diyung Riverbed.

Cancellation of all related surveys, proposals, and approval processes initiated without prior public consultation.

Full transparent disclosure of all documents, surveys, and maps linked to the proposal.

Strict compliance requiring prior public hearings and free, prior, and informed consent from affected villages before any future action.

The signatories warned that if the mining proposal is not withdrawn immediately, they will be compelled to launch democratic protests, submit formal complaints to higher statutory bodies, and initiate legal proceedings in appropriate environmental forums and courts.