Illegal mining exposed in Bayankhongor

Director of Baidrag Nutag Usaa Khairlan Khamgaalya NGO A.Enkhtur revealed alleged illegal mining operations in Bayankhongor Province to the press on August 7.

He said that in Jargalant soum of Bayankhongor Province, illegal mining operations are causing severe environmental degredations, and claimed that the mayor of the soum is not punishing companies that violate the law.

A.Enkhtur said, “Under the name of environmental rehabilitation in the soum, illegal mining operations have been taking place since 2013. The illegal mining is polluting local rivers and streams. The citizens of our soum have created Baidar Nutag Usaa Khairlan Khamgaalya NGO to combat the miners. Baidariin River runs for over 300 kilometers and is considered one of the longest rivers in Mongolia. Because of the illegal mining operations, the rights of people in five soums are being violated.”

A.Enkhdulguun, a member of the NGO, said that Agi Harvest and Orgil Mount were permits to conduct mining rehabilitation, but have been illegally mining gold in the province. The companies reportedly paid 100 million MNT to the Soum Development Fund which was embezzled by local authorities.

The NGO members said that they have been combating the companies for four years and will continue to do so in the future.