Illegal Sand Mining Under Badrighat Bridge Raises Safety Concerns, Locals Question Mafia-Departmental Nexus

Illegal sand mining continues unabated along the dry banks of the Barak River in Silchar’s Berenga area, directly beneath the newly constructed Badrighat Bridge, raising serious concerns over the safety of the structure. The activity, allegedly carried out every night using heavy machinery, is taking place without any valid lease or permission, while the Forest Department of Cachar has remained silent.

Under the jurisdiction of the Silchar Forest Range, excavators and JCB machines are reportedly being used to dig up the riverbanks, with sand transported in truckloads to different parts of the district. Locals allege that once night falls, hundreds of trucks and dumpers ferry sand from the site for earthfilling, construction and other commercial purposes.

The illegal excavation is reportedly taking place directly beneath the Badrighat Bridge, posing a grave threat to its foundation. The bridge connects Berenga in Silchar with Kashipur and parts of Banskandi, significantly reducing the travel time.

Locals fear that continued mining could weaken the bridge structure and its approach roads, especially during the flood season, when riverbank erosion may intensify and compromise the stability of the bridge.

Locals have further alleged that the illegal trade is operating due to a tacit understanding between the Forest Department and local sand mafias. Despite the mining continuing for a long period, no visible action has been taken to curb the activity. Notably, the site is located barely 5 km away from the Silchar Sadar Forest Range Office.

As per Rule 39 of the Assam Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2013, strict conditions are laid down for riverbed mining to protect bridges, embankments and river ecology. The rules categorically prohibit mining in a riverbed within a distance of five times the span of a bridge on the upstream side and ten times the span on the downstream side, subject to a minimum distance of 250 metres upstream and 500 metres downstream.

Any mining activity carried out in violation of these provisions, particularly beneath a bridge using heavy machinery, constitutes a serious breach of the law and poses a direct threat to structural safety and river stability.

The ongoing mining activity beneath the Badrighat Bridge, where excavators and JCBs are allegedly being used openly, constitutes a direct violation of these provisions. Such unscientific extraction can severely damage the river ecosystem while endangering critical infrastructure.

Locals have demanded immediate intervention by the authorities to halt the illegal mining and ensure the safety of the bridge and the Barak River.