A class of unscrupulous soil dealers are cutting the fertile soil of the cropland of Gazipur's Kaliakair upazila, river banks, banks, high hills and other places. These soils are again going to illegal brickyards. On the one hand, it damages the environment. On the other hand, farmers are losing fertile soil. Cultivated land is turning into barren land. The production of jute products including rice, wheat, vegetables is decreasing. Searching in some areas of the Upazila, it can be seen that in the darkness of the night in the land owned by the railway line in the Nayanagar Bamand area of Kaliakair Upazila, soil scavengers are cutting soil and selling it to different brickyards. Also, the land traders are making huge sums of money by submerging houses, ponds and drains. In addition to the railway line, the soil traders are cutting the soil in the dangerous area next to the high voltage electric poles. Electricity poles along with railway lines are at risk. Major accidents can happen at any time. Meanwhile, another team of the same businessman is taking the soil of farmer Shahidul Islam's agricultural land in Dubail area of the Upazila and selling it to the owner of the illegal brickyard in that area. That team of soil cutters is saber cutting the bank of Bangsai river without caring about anything. In this regard, the Upazila administration conducted a mobile court to impound the excavators and collected fines, but the festival of illegal cutting of soil is going on in the dark of the night without paying attention to the administration.
Shahidul Islam, a farmer of that area, said, I have 45 percent of the land here. I am selling soil in brickyard. Those who are buying land, they just give me money. I explained to them the ground. Also from crop land in Gabtali area of Srifaltali union of upazila, Begunbari in Dhaljora union, from Turag river bank in Nishindati area, from crop land in Shimulia area of Phulbaria union, from crop land next to Gowalia river in Kambalpara area, from crop land in Nalua area of Boali union, Turag in Sakashwar area of Madhyapara union. soil is being collected from cropland along the river and from hills in Haturiachala area during night and day. These soils are being sold in exchange of huge sums of money to various factories, brickyards and dump trucks. Also, due to the use of dump trucks to transport soil, the regional roads of the village are getting damaged. As a result of cutting the soil by deep digging, the three-crop agricultural land is turning into drains, sinkholes and ponds. In this, the crop production of farmers is decreasing year after year. Environment is getting polluted day by day.
The road from Saheb Bazar to Nayanagar railway line of the Upazila has been severely damaged due to the movement of soil-laden trucks. Shimulia-Sindukchala road of Phulbaria union of Upazila, TR project road of Kambalpara has suffered extensive damage.
In this regard, Shaukat Hossain, a soil trader, said that the people of the area have blocked it. I have stopped bringing soil through that road. I will not cut the soil from here. Kaliakair Upazila Agriculture Officer Saiful Islam said, there is silt soil between 10 and 15 inches on the upper part of the land. It is called the soul of the soil. Cropping topsoil reduces soil fertility. It takes at least 15 years to complete. For this reason, to get a good crop in the land. The soil of the upper part of the land cannot be plowed in any way.
