Dimapur, Aug. 5 -- In a significant move to protect the environment and public infrastructure, Dimapur Deputy Commissioner Tinojongshi Chang on Wednesday imposed a complete ban on the use of heavy machinery for extracting sand, gravel, boulders, and other riverbed materials within Nagaland's Dimapur district without the required permissions and licences.

The order cited the indiscriminate use of heavy machinery in riverbed mining as a major cause of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, water contamination and damage to agricultural activities.

It noted that such activities have adversely affected the structural integrity of roads, bridges, culverts, railway infrastructure and irrigation channels.

Accordin...