Mindless pebble lifting from rivers poses landslide threat
A section of unscrupulous people have continued unplanned extraction of pebbles from Dharla River in Burimari village of Patgram upazila under Rangpur district, ignoring the environmental aspects, especially fate of the river and the people living around. Inset, workers sieve out pebbles from mud beside Lalmonirhat-Burimari road.Photo: STAR
Large-scale lifting of pebbles from Dharla, Saniyazan and Singimari rivers in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district poses threat of massive landslide in the areas including the upazila town, in addition to leading the rivers to gradual death. About 600 draggers are being used in illegally lifting pebbles from the bed of three rivers and their tributaries in different areas including Sarkarer Hat, Kawamari, Baniyadangi, Burimari, Islampur, Banglabari, Chatrarpar, Masantari, Azizipur, Kuchlibari, Dhabolsuti, Majhipara, Shamser Nagor, Jagotber, Jongra, Sreerampur, Bankandha, Upharmara, Ghospara and Rasulganj villages in Patgram upazila. Owners of the 600 draggers, 400 with double machines and 200 others with single machines, have continued their illegal operation to lift pebbles through managing the administration, local people alleged. During a recent visit to some villages in Patgram upazila, this correspondent learnt that a strong network comprising people belonging to different political parties are engaged in illegal pebble lifting by draggers from the three rivers. Men employed by them create obstruction if any journalist tries to take snap of an illegally run dragger. "A dragger with double machines can lift 1,200 sft of pebbles in an hour and a machine used for lifting pebbles runs 15 hours daily. An sft of pebbles is sold at Tk 3 on the spot," said a dragger owner seeking anonymity. "Each dragger owner pays Tk 50,000 every month to the network boss for managing administration, police, political leaders, journalists and local influential men. We earn Tk 8 to 12 lakh from each dragger every month. After managing the cost, our monthly income stands at Tk 4 to 6 lakh if we can run our machine properly,” he said. Schoolteacher Moinuddin Sarker, a resident of Sarkarerhat village of Patgram upazila, said, "Every month, some 600 draggers lift at least one crore sft of pebble from the three rivers, making them head towards death. If anyone dare protest the illegal act, he faces harassment even false cases from the influential people belonging to political parties." Monzurul Hossain, a resident of Burimari village, said they fear floods during this current monsoon as some areas of the three rivers have been filled up while large and deep holes have been created in some other areas due to widespread pebble lifting. Two bridges over Dharla River and another over Singimari River at Burimari, Sarkarerhat and Kuchlibari villages are facing threat as pebble is being lifted beside them, he said. In response to local people's written allegation regarding the matter, district and upazila administrations sometimes conduct drive but it remains mere eyewash, said Monirul Islam, a trader at Patgram town. If done in a planned and systematic way, pebble lifting could be a good source of income for the poor people in the area but the unplanned act is causing serious harm to environment and ecology there, said several locals. There are allegations that the pebble lifting network manages the Patgram upazila administration by regularly giving handsome amounts of money. Refuting the allegation, Patgram Upazila Nirbahi Officer Harunur Rashid said, “I have conducted several drives against the illegal pebble lifting from the rivers. Many draggers have been thrown into river and at least 13 cases have been lodged against the dragger owners.” “Dodging the administration and police, some 20 to 25 dragger owners lift pebbles from the rivers illegally in the dark of night. I will take necessary action against them soon after talking with deputy commissioner of Lalmonirhat,” he said. Admitting that pebble lifting from the three rivers poses serious threat to environment, Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker said, "I have already sent letter to the home ministry and mineral resources ministry for taking action against the dragger owners who illegally lift pebbles from Dharla, Saniyazan and Singimari rivers in Patgram upazila. I will again send letter in this regard soon.”
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