Mahadi Hasan Badhon, back from Sunamganj
The ecosystem of internationally famed Tanguar haor is facing severe destruction due to indiscriminate sand extraction from the adjacent Jadukata River.
Despite a high court ban on sand extraction a section of traders in connivance with local influential political and business leaders are continuing to extract sand for construction purposes.
The violations on the illegal trade go unnoticed as the local administration as well as the security forces allegedly are not taking into account the destruction of the environment of the local areas. Such disregard for the environment was well noticed when this correspondent visited the areas around Tanguar Haor to see for himself the alleged sand extraction activities. The river water was found filthy muddy and mostly dark brown.
There were fewer trees and animals than seen before which was evidence of how the environment was being damaged by the use of the sand extraction machines. “Business flourished but the surrounding trees and animals gradually perished,” said Razzak Miah, a 56-year local fisherman who witnessed the destruction of the environment for the past two decades or more.
“I don’t find as many fish as I used to catch five to ten years ago. This waterbody is well known for the fish stock of various species but most of them perished with time,” Razzak said. A local sand trader while narrating sand business in the areas said, “Much earlier, hundreds of laborers would work to manually remove sand from around Jadukata River banks which usually took three days on average to fill large sand carrying boats.”
It was found that huge dredging machines and other allied equipment have been installed in the areas by the riverside to remove sand from the river banks in Tahirpur Upazila. Hundreds of country boats were also seen carrying sand on the river. According to local people, the dredger and other machines are used only after midnight every day until the early hours of the morning (4am). Such practice is to dodge the law enforcers or draw the attention of the public who could protest the illegal activities.
The booming illegal business is thriving as daily income is also increasing by the day. It is said that the leaseholders are earning between taka 25 to 30 lakh per day from those who extract sand and stone chips or pebbles. Much earlier, their income was maximum Tk 2 lakh per day (when manual day laborers were hired for the job),” they added.
Mohammad Azad Hossen, a leaseholder (using his name in permit book as Azad Hossen Gong) and Ferdous Alam, another leaseholder, has taken the lease of the areas where sand and stone chips are available. They paid Tk two crore and 24 lakh taka for three years for the lease. The Ministry of Power Energy and Mineral Resources has given them lease for collecting royalty for extracting sandstone from 71.49 hectares of land of different places including Puran Laur, Chaliar Ghat, Ghagra, Purbo Deyil, Lamasrom, Gokul Para, Nowagaon, Rana para, Kunat, and Sohala under Tahirpur Upazila of Sunamganj district.
There are widespread allegations that the leaseholders allow illegal sand extraction under the guise of extracting stone chips. This correspondent during his visit to many of the sand and stone extraction spots found that illegal traders are given tokens to extract sand only after midnight. Bangladesh Post also obtained some documents of vouchers used as royalty for extracting sands. Sources said, the leaseholders, local administration and police are allegedly realizing illegal toll from sand carrying boats from nine different points of Sunamganj.
The Chairman of Save the Environment Movement better known as Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), Abu Naser Khan told Bangladesh Post, “The sand was being extracted illegally by using explosives from Jadukta River for a long time in Sunamganj. As a result, the water of the river is polluted and appears cloudy all the time and the polluted water is flowing into the haor area causing serious damages, especially to aquatic life.”
He also said, “As a result of such an unplanned extraction of sand a lot of sand is flowing to the haor and settling on the waterbody bed destroying the fertile soil which is used during dry seasons to cultivate various crops. Such a decrease in fertility is a huge blow to the wetland ecosystem.” Environmentalist and human rights activist Shahed Kayes told Bangladesh Post, “Ecosystems of this area is being damaged due to the use of dredging machine on the Jadukata River. The long term effect of destroying the biodiversity of this area will be felt soon.”
Asked about the alleged sand extraction, Poba Secretary M A Wahed told Bangladesh Post, “Tanguar Haor is the 2nd wetland site after Sundarban recognized by world Ramsar Convention. The convention provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources.
Tahirpur Upazila Chairman Karuna Sindhu Chowdhury Babul told Bangladesh Post, “Local leaders are involved in this sand extraction. I am fighting against them. Due to my continuous effort, their sand extraction activities by using dredging machine have stopped for two months.” He also said, “Now, the river is over flowing. When water reduces, it may start again.”
Meanwhile, Sunamganj District Administration (On July 7) has published another notice to lease out a part of Maharam River and Jadukata River. In this regard, Eng Mouazzam Hossain Ratan, who is the Member of Parliament of Sunamganj-1 has issued a letter (on July 11) addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj requesting him to cancel the lease as Ministry of Power Energy and Mineral Resources has already given a lease at Jadukata River.
