Influential people are lifting sand illegally from the bank of the Meghna River under the very nose of the authorities concerned, putting the river bank under threat of erosion at Ripura upazila of Narsingdi district. Besides, local hoodlums and musclemen are also extracting sand from the Brahmaputra river bank adjacent to Pollakandi area under Dewanganj upazila of Jamalpur district, according to media reports.
So, the villagers are now passing days amid fear that their homesteads might go under water. Unabated illegal sand extraction from the riverbeds and banks has posed a serious erosion threat to vast tracks of cropland, adjacent villages, houses and different establishments along the rivers in the country.
Unplanned sand extraction in some strategic points of some important rivers has also reduced the production of hilsa and other fishes. Apart from these, the unplanned sand extraction is also posing threat to roads and highways, bridges and other important structures in the country.
People often take lease of an area for lifting of sands but do it elsewhere, causing damages to, crop lands, habitats, bridges and roads and the river due to erosion. So, the balance of environment is being destroyed due to unplanned sand extraction.
Villagers are now passing
days amid fear that their homesteads
might go under water
The high command of the government several times ordered suspension of sand lifting and asked four ministries to prepare a policy guideline in this regard to protect the croplands, homestead, important establishments, century old hut and bazars, bridges, national highways and roads from illegal lifting of sands from rivers. The authorities also issued warning against sand extraction but political interference is always patronising the organised local influential and hoodlums to do the crime.
Therefore, local influential people and hoodlums in their respective areas are running a rampant sand mining business right under the noses of the administration, which shows no sign of taking any actions against them. Most of the sand traders use mechanised dredgers and dredge the river beds in an unplanned way.
Therefore, these holes obstruct the natural water flow during rainy season, causing rivers to realign their banks and threaten embankments, croplands and homesteads. This is not acceptable in any way and those who are involved in such illegal activities are the enemies of the nation.
They must be ousted from the rivers without delay. Local alleged that the administration is not playing any role in this regard as some influential people of the area are running the business.