Excavation of the 12,000-year-old Ratu River began in the first week of February under a contract awarded by Bardibas Municipality for the current fiscal year. However, weak monitoring has led to blatant violations of excavation standards by contractors.
Regulations allow river materials to be extracted only up to a depth of three feet, yet a monitoring visit on Sunday revealed excavation up to six feet. Contractors have also been found mining river materials dangerously close to bridges, despite the rule mandating a 500-meter clearance. In the Pathlaiya section, materials were being extracted just 200 meters from a suspension bridge.
Deputy Mayor and monitoring committee coordinator Taradevi Mahato assured that excavation would adhere to regulations. “We noticed some irregularities during monitoring,” she said. “The work must be done within standards.”
Riverine materials are highly lucrative, with low investment and high returns, leading to rampant river exploitation nationwide. CPN (Maoist Center) central member Raju Khadka accused authorities—including police, administration, and elected representatives—of enabling the destruction of the Ratu River.
Last year, locals petitioned the Supreme Court, demanding protection of the river’s ecosystem. UML leader Shankar Mahato warned of renewed legal action if local authorities fail to regulate excavation. “The unchecked exploitation of the Ratu River, which originates from the Chure hills, is turning fertile land into a desert,” he said.
Senior advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha, an environmental and river rights activist, pointed out that the use of heavy machinery for river material extraction is banned but continues unabated in Ratu.
For the fiscal year 2024/25, Bardibas Municipality awarded excavation contracts worth Rs 84m (excluding VAT), dividing the river into four packages. According to Sajeev Baral from the municipality’s revenue branch, contractors are permitted to extract 294,681 cubic meters of river materials, with a deadline set for June.
Deputy Mayor Mahato stated that initial warnings had been issued to contractors. “We will halt excavation if it does not comply with standards,” she said. “We are ready to address shortcomings.”
Chief Administrative Officer Rammani Adhikari also instructed contractors to follow regulations. “Some areas have seen excavation beyond the permitted limits,” he admitted. “We have imposed conditions on contractors. If violations continue, we will take action.”
Meanwhile, Mahottari Chief District Officer Lalbabu Kawadi, a member of the District Monitoring Committee, assured that any work breaching regulations would be immediately stopped.
