SILCHAR, Oct 7 - Cachar is the first district in the State to achieve environment clearance for extraction of sand.
Cachar Deputy Commissioner S Vishwanathan on Friday handed over the official documents regarding the sand extraction to Dhananjay Rajbangsi, the highest bidder for Balichera- Barjalenga sand mahal. District Forest Officer, Cachar N Anand also attended the ceremonial distribution.
�Following the directions of the Supreme Court of India, the State Level Environmental Assessment Committee at Guwahati was engaged in issuing environmental clearance on sand and stone extraction. But, people will no longer have to rush to Guwahati for getting clearance on extraction of sand and stone and other related matters as the local district administrations have been empowered by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India to give the clearance up to 5 hectors of area. In this context a notice was issued on January 15 earlier this year following which a District Level Assessment Committee has been formed to execute the matters,� Viswanathan said. He was quick to add that since 2012, the Supreme Court of India has made environmental clearance mandatory for all kinds of such schemes since degradation of environment and its fallout on the human habitat could cast a major impact. N Anand, DFO Cachar echoed the Deputy Commissioner saying �since this was the first effort, the process took time but clearance can be obtained in a much easier process henceforth.�
