A section of influential people are lifting sands illegally from the bank of Meghna River intensifying the threat of river bank erosion in adjacent Mendipur and Sadekpur villages under Bhairab upazila of Kishoreganj district.
Around 80 bighas of cropland of Mendipur village have already gone under Meghna due to the unplanned and unabated sand lifting for 13 consecutive days. Villagers are now passing days amid fear that their homesteads might go under water.
They alleged that a group of workers are extracting sands from the river bank for using in the ongoing construction work of a road on the Bhairab- Mendipur route.
Although the assigned construction firm, Moushumi Enterprise, is required to purchase the sands, they are illegally lifting them from the river bank without taking permission from the authorities concerned. They also carry the sands on boats to sell in nearby markets.
An influential group was also involved with the sand lifting in the name of river dredging, they claimed.
Paying no heed to the repeated plea of the villagers, they were continuing the act with high-powered dredger. The matter was informed to the Bhairab Upazila Nirbahi Officer, however, no step was taken in due time, said a number of affected villagers.
Mintu Miya, owner of Mousumi Enterprise, said they had taken permission from the authorities concerned for extracting sands for the road construction two kilometres away fromthe villages.
“Erosion will occur naturally, sand lifting has nothing to do with that,” he said.
Safi Uddin, a resident of Mendipur village said: “I have lost three bighas of crop land in river bank erosion caused by the callous act.”
Manik Miya, Jahir Miya and Akkas Miya of the village echoed with him.
Requesting anonymity, several other locals said no action was taken against the illegal sand traders as they were associated with the ruling party leaders.
Bahirab upazila chairman Gias Uddin said he was looking into the matter.
Bhairab Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jesmin Akter said: “We have received complaints and informed the matter to the higher authority after visiting the spot. As far as I know, the sand lifting was stopped now.
Maximum of the area that was effected by erosion are khas lands, however, if anyone claimed ownership of the lands we would help him upon scrutinising proper documents.”
