The topsoil of agricultural land is being sold to different brick kilns, causing damage to the cropland at Harishpur village in Sadar upazila of Chuadanga.
Besides, the fertility of the adjacent agricultural land is being damaged due to the sale of topsoil from the adjoining land and digging of ponds there.
Locals complained that they cannot sleep well at night due to the loud sounds of tractors carrying soil. The tractors are running every day from the evening to dawn and supplying the soil of agricultural land to the brick kilns, dodging the local administration.
The rural roads have also been damaged due to reckless plying of the soil-laden tractors, causing sufferings to local people.
According to the villagers of Harishpur, excavators (veku) are being used to cut soil from the agricultural land owned by Askar Ali and a pond owned by Mizanur Rahman at the village. The tractors are making hundreds of trips every night, supplying the soil to different brick kilns.
Liaqat Ali of Begumpur village said around 8 to 10 tractors of Mizanur Rahman Miltu of Utholi village take soil at a reckless speed every day from evening to morning through Begumpur and Utholi villages.
Harez Ali, a van driver of Begumpur village, said every day from evening to midnight, tractors full of soil move at a reckless speed from Utholi bus stand on Begumpur road. Because of this, vans cannot carry passengers on this road after evening.
Shuvo of Begumpur village said, “We are fed up with the loud noise of tractors carrying soil. The tractors have been running like this for the 20 consecutive days. Children, old and sick people are suffering more due to the loud sounds of the tractors.”
Taqibur Rahman of Utholi village said the rural roads are being damaged due to the reckless movement of soil-carrying tractors. Local residents have sought urgent intervention from the administration to stop illegal soil extraction and its sale to brick kilns.
Askar Ali said, “I dug a pond and sold the soil to the brick kiln.” About taking official permission, he could not say anything.
When contacted over mobile phone, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Chuadanga Sadar Fatema-Tuz-Zohra said the accused had been fined earlier for illegally selling soil.
Recently, the soil has been excavated and sold again. “On receiving the news, I have already instructed the
Land Officer of Begumpur
Land Office to stop the
illegal soil cutting and sale.
Strict legal action will be taken against them if they do not stop such act,” the UNO said.
