People from all walks of life in Rajarajeshwar Char area formed a human chain in protest against illegal extraction of sand from the Padma-Meghna river in Chandpur. They alleged that the chairman of Lakshmipur Union Parishad in Chandpur Sadar Upazila is extracting sand illegally and demanded immediate action against him for this ill practice.
Sand extraction had remained stopped for the last two years in Rajarajeshwar Char area following the measures taken by the local administration. The UP chairman has again started sand extraction in the Char area. Unabated illegal sand extraction from the riverbeds and banks has posed a serious threat of erosion 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 major rivers has also reduced the production of hilsa and other fish species.
Besides, unplanned sand extraction poses a threat to roads and highways, bridges and other important structures across the country. People often take lease of an area for sand extraction but they extract sand in unplanned way, which causes damage to crop lands, bridges, roads and other structures.
Unabated illegal sand extraction from
the riverbeds and banks has posed a
serious threat of erosion to vast tracks
of cropland, adjacent villages.
The ecological balance is being destroyed due to unplanned sand extraction. The government high-ups ordered suspension of sand extraction several times and also asked four ministries to prepare a policy guidelines to protect croplands, homestead, important establishments, century-old huts and bazars, bridges, and roads from mindless sand lifting from the rivers.
The authorities concerned also issued warning against illegal sand extraction, but local influential people are doing this ill practice under the very nose of the administration. Though sand lifting goes unabated, action is hardly taken against the culprits.
Most of the sand traders dredge river beds in an unplanned way which aggravates erosion in the rainy season. The holes created for dredging obstruct the natural water flow during monsoon, causing rivers to realign their banks and threaten embankments, croplands and homesteads. Steps should be taken immediately to stop illegal sand extraction in the greater interest of the country.
