Indiscriminate sand lifting on despite land subsidence
A large area of cultivable land at Manikchalk village in Bogra Sadar upazila has turned into a water body as indiscriminate sand lifting by digging continues unabated in the area for the last three and a half years.Photo: STAR
Indiscriminate sand lifting from underground is wreaking havoc to land and environment in vast areas of Bogra Sadar upazila. At least 18 square kilometre areas of croplands and habitations in Rajapur and Sakaria unions have been affected while over a hundred acres of land subsided due to unplanned sand lifting with the help of shallow machines during the last three and a half years, local sources said. About 90 hectares of lands at several villages in Bogra Sadar upazila subsided during the period, upazila administration sources said. Locals, however, said the area of subsided lands would be much more. At least 8,000 people have been seriously affected for illegal sand business in different villages of Bogra Sadar upazila, said locals and district administration sources. Croplands and habitations in a number of villages are threatened due to the illegal sand business, said chairmen of Rajapur, Sakaria and Gokul union parishads in Bogra Sadar upazila. "Unplanned sand lifting by digging ground is very harmful for land and environment. In this regard, the Department of Environment sent letters to local administration but no step has been taken to stop the illegal practice," Md Nazmul Haque, director, Department of Environment, Rajshahi Division, told local journalists. Residents of the affected areas on different occasions formed human chains and brought out protest processions in Bogra town demanding stopping of illegal sand lifting but local administration failed to take any action due to political pressure, sources said. Government employee Pronob Kumar lodged a case on February 19 this year against sand traders Mostofa, Hassan and Tarique of Rajapur area but the situation has remained unchanged. At least 12 sand traders are lifting sand day and night using shallow machines at Manik Chalk village in Rajapur union, said Bablu Mia, an employee of a sand trader. Bogra Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge AKM Khalequzzman said they seized a large number of shallow machines along with pipes from Manikchalk and other villages during the last few months to stop illegal sand lifting.
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