Apex court orders for drafting law for stone, gravel, and sand quarries

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 15: The Supreme Court has directed the Government of Nepal to formulate laws governing the mining, sale, and management of stone, gravel, and sand in the country. A division bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Abdul Aziz Musalman issued the verdict on April 29 of this year, with the full text published recently.

The verdict emphasizes the need for such laws to ensure that the quarry industry operates in an orderly and environmentally friendly manner. It specifically instructs the Government of Nepal and the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers to take the necessary steps to enact these laws.

Additionally, the court has annulled specific sections of the existing "Stone, Gravel, Sand Extraction, Sale, and Management (First Amendment) Standards, 2079 BS." The annulled sections are Section 4(1.0) and Section 11(1), which were deemed inconsistent with the required legal framework.

This order follows a writ petition filed by advocates Padam Bahadur Shrestha, Raju Phuyal of Nuwakot, and Rakesh Kumar Sah of Dhanusha on behalf of the Environment Law Society Nepal. -- RS