Jitendra Chaudhury Opposes Transfer of Sand Mining Permissions to Industries Department, Raises Environmental Concerns

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 3, 2026

Tripura Opposition Leader Jitendra Chaudhury on Thursday strongly opposed the state government’s decision to transfer the responsibility of issuing permissions for extracting sand from rivers and streams from the Forest Department to the Industries Department, questioning both the rationale behind the move and its potential impact on the state’s environment.

Chaudhury argued that the Forest Department already has offices and officials at the district and subdivision levels and is therefore better equipped to oversee activities involving rivers, streams, forests and other natural resources. However, despite having an administrative presence across the state, the Forest Department has allegedly failed to effectively curb illegal sand mining and the business associated with unauthorised extraction.

Against this backdrop, Chaudhury questioned how the Industries Department would be able to control illegal sand mining when, according to him, it does not have sufficient offices and officers even at the district level. He said the transfer of responsibility could create additional administrative difficulties and make effective monitoring of sand extraction even more challenging.

The Opposition Leader expressed concern that rather than addressing the existing problems associated with illegal sand mining, the government’s decision could further aggravate the condition of Tripura’s rivers and streams. Unregulated or excessive extraction of sand from riverbeds can have serious implications for river morphology, erosion, aquatic ecosystems and the broader environmental balance, he pointed out.

Chaudhury maintained that the protection of rivers and streams cannot be viewed merely as an industrial or revenue-related issue, as sand mining directly affects the ecological health of water bodies and surrounding areas. In his view, the department responsible for managing forests and natural ecosystems should have a central role in regulating such activities, with proper scientific assessment and environmental safeguards.

Questioning the government’s intention behind transferring sand mining-related responsibilities from the Forest Department to the Industries Department, Chaudhury described the decision as “unscientific and illegal” and demanded that it be withdrawn.

He further warned that if adequate institutional mechanisms, field-level monitoring and environmental safeguards are not put in place, the change in administrative responsibility could worsen illegal sand mining and further damage Tripura’s rivers and streams. The Opposition Leader urged the government to reconsider the decision and adopt a scientifically sound approach that prioritises environmental protection while regulating the extraction of sand from the state’s rivers and streams.

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