The Bengal irrigation department has decided to engage the West Bengal Mineral Development & Trading Corporation Limited (WBMDTCL) to mine sand from the Teesta.

“WBMDTCL will carry out the mining from the Teesta river,” Manas Bhunia, the state irrigation minister, told this newspaper over the phone on Sunday.

WBMDTCL is a wholly owned company under the department of industry, commerce and enterprise of the state government.

Following the glacial lake outburst flood in north Sikkim in October 2023, large quantities of silt were deposited in the river, raising the riverbed.

Raised riverbeds pose a risk of flooding during monsoons.

Last year, the irrigation department’s northeast division conducted a survey and prepared a detailed project report (DPR) that was submitted to the state authorities.

“The DPR identifies 32 dredging sites from Sevoke to Bakali (Maynaguri), with around 713.35 crore tonnes of sand expected to be removed. The total project cost is estimated at ₹567 crore,” the source said.

Given the high cost of dredging, the government started exploring the possibilities of selling sand.

Following the DPR, samples of sand collected from these areas were sent to the irrigation department’s quality control lab in Cooch Behar last month.

“We have received a positive report of the samples from the lab on Friday. Once we get the necessary approval, the sand mining will start,” a source in the north-east division of the irrigation department said.

The sources said the report suggested that the quality of sand from Sevoke to Chamakdangi, over a distance of about 16km, was found to be of Grade 1. This grade is ideal for the construction of buildings.

The samples from the rest of the stretches suggested that the sand from that area can be used for the building of roads, embankments and foundation work of any construction.

Parts of the mining stretches come within the jurisdiction of the Mahananda wildlife sanctuary, the Baikunthapur forest division and the Kalimpong forest division.

Necessary permission from the forest department needs to be obtained. “We will take necessary permission from the forest department,” a source in the irrigation department.