In Chatmohar of Pabna, there is a rush to cut the soil in the name of crop lands and ponds of different beels. Without the permission of the appropriate authorities, an unscrupulous group is openly cutting and selling land illegally to various people in the area.
Trolleys and trucks are carrying dirt on the road. Although the soil is sold by digging the pond with excavator (Veku), no one is concerned in this regard. This is destroying the local roads. Ordinary people angry at the silent role of the administration.
From the spot on Thursday afternoon, it was seen that Anwar Hossain of Dolang village was cutting soil from the field between Dhulauri and Ramnagar villages of the upazila with an excavator machine and selling it at different places. Abdul Gafur of Jhankara village is cutting and selling soil from a pond jointly owned by Bachchu, Jahangir and Forkan in the name of pond renovation.
A man named Shafiqul Islam was seen digging a pond with an excavator on the west side of Chatmohar-Pabna road at Purbtiartala village in Mulgram union of Surajmin upazila on Friday afternoon. Besides, Delwar Hossain is selling soil by digging a pond behind the house of Hajir in Bahadurpur village. It has been reported that the diggers and sellers of these ponds are not allowed to dig and sell the ponds.
According to the affected locals, some land traders are cutting and selling the land in agreement with the owners of the crop lands. Trolleys and trucks carrying dirt are moving fast on different roads of Chatmohar. Depending on the size, the soil is being sold at Tk 500 to Tkl 1,500 per car. In many places, the road is being damaged due to the cut off of the road. Besides, while carrying soil in these vehicles, the people walking on the road are having various problems. People are suffering from other diseases caused by air pollution including shortness of breath. The surrounding crop lands are also being damaged due to soil erosion. After informing the officials of the upazila administration, they stopped digging the pond, but after a while, the land traders started cutting the soil again. This is how the festival of digging ponds in crop lands and selling soil is going on. Many people are not cutting the soil during the day and selling it in the dark of night. But the business of cutting and selling soil is not being stopped even under the supervision of the administration.
In this regard, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chatmohar Police Station Anwar Hossain said, Later he started cutting again. This requires a tough campaign. Cutting and selling land will be reduced if jail-fines can be imposed through mobile courts.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Saikat Islam said cutting the soil was not allowed. We conduct operations when we receive complaints. Sometimes the police are sent to stop it. The problem is that it starts again after a while. Or when one is stopped, someone else starts digging. Another problem here is that soil is needed, but soil is not available. In such a situation people are recklessly cutting and selling soil. If we are given information, we will take action.
