Gangtok: For the past few months Sikkim’s Forest department was under fire from various quarters for allegedly allowing “rampant and unsustainable quarrying” through excavators.
...Is deforestation and sand mining rampant in Sikkim? Forest Dept clarifies
The Forest Department defended allegations of illegal sand mining, claiming that it has collected around Rs. 64 lakh in 2020-21 as fine for illegal use of excavators (JCBs) at the riverine sites.