CMC starts raising river-based excavation tax in Mustang

Mustang, June 26: The protracted dispute over whether to raise the utility tax from the excavation, sale and transportation of river-based natural materials of the Kaligandaki River in Mustang has come to an end.

The Conservation Management Committee (CMC) under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) has initiated collecting utility tax for the excavation of the river-based natural resources –sand, gravel and stone. Chief of the ACAP Jomsom office, Rajesh Gupta, informed that the head office recommends that river-based resource excavation adhere to the minimum standards of the Kaligandaki River natural resource for internal purposes.

Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC), acting on a writ registered in July 2021, had ordered to ban excavation of Kaligandaki-based resources. The apex court issued an order to prohibit obstruction of the river flow, pollution and excavation of stone, sand and gravel. On 4 November 2024, the SC had scrapped the writ with a directive order. In the meantime, the Kaski district court revoked the writ petition registered by the CMC of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-8 and 9 in Kaski on 15 December 2020.

It may be noted that the interim order was issued to follow the existing federal laws while excavating river-based materials in the ACAP region. Due to the lack of proper excavation of the natural river-based resources in Mustang, the disastrous incidents are annually increasing in the Kaligandaki river areas.

There is a high risk of land erosion in 13 rural municipalities of Mustang due to rising level of the Kaligandaki river of late.