Illegal sand lifting has been going on unabated in Chitalmari Upazila in Bagerhat district.
Some seven to eight owners of dragging machine owners are doing good business defying government ban. These traders are lifting thousand tons of sail from the under earth. Sand lifting causes serious damages to the environment. So, the environment is facing a great threat.
Local environmentalists demand tough action against the culprits. In this regard, Md Asmot Hossain, UNO, Chitolmari Upazila said that the administration will take action against the sand lifters according to the rule ‘zero tolerance ‘ .
Eye witness told that, two pipes went under the sail, then one pipe uses water to ease it and other pipe sucked the soil. This machine can grab soil from thousands of feet soil. Locals used to call the machine suicidal. There are around 50 dragging machines in the Upazila. The illegal soil lifting has been going on in many villages in the seven unions and including Takerbazar, Chardakatia and Khaserhat.
Sand is being extracted from rivers, canals and water bodies illegally In different areas According to sub-section 1 of section 5 of the Sand Fields and Soil Management Act, 2010, no underground sand or soil can be extracted by pumping or dredging or any other means.
According to Section 4 (kha), sand lifting is prohibited within one kilometre of bridges, culverts, dams, roads, highways, railway lines and other important public and private structures or residential areas.
Violators of the law are punishable with two years of imprisonment and a maximum fine of Tk10 lakh or both.
To mitigate sand lifting problem, awareness should to build to solve the great problem with the existing law.