Illegal brickfields wreaking havoc on Padma shoal
At least 51 brickfields have mushroomed in Luxmikunda union f Pabna's Ishwardi upazila in last five years encroaching vast shoal of the Padma. Apart from this, mindless sand and earth extraction in the area has been going on in broad daylight.
The clique has also constructed several roads in different points crisscrossing the lagoons to facilitate transportation of soil to the brickfields.
While visiting Luxmikunda union, it was found that the encroachers have erected barriers in Dadpur, Luxmukinda, Nabinagar and Char Kurulia areas and constructed roads so that they can easily extract soil from the shoal and carry it to the brickfields, locals said.
Influential people started establishing brickfields since 2014 and within a few years, 51 brick fields were established in 20-kilometre area from Nabinagar to Char Kurulia in the union, said Ziaul Islam Zia, panel chairman of Luxmukunda Union Parishad.
However, most of them have no legal permission, he also said.
"The UP has not issued licenses to the brickfields but the influential quarter started establishing brick fields illegally; now the brickfields are established closer to the Padma wreaking havoc on the river and natural environment," said the panel chairman.
Brickfield workers and the encroachers have been extracting soil from the shoal illegally damaging cropland.
"Brickfield workers are extracting soil with excavators. Due to rampant sand extraction, the area is becoming more erosion prone damaging crop production," Zia added.
Besides, natural environment is being badly affected due to the encroachment resulting into the reduction of fish population in the river, he added.
Talking with the Daily Star, Md Rafikul Islam, executive engineer of Pabna Water Development Board (WDB), however, said Padma is rapidly drying up due to the rampant encroachment.
"Encroachment and construction of roads in the middle of the river have been speeding up the geomorphological change of the river," the WDB engineer said.
Nobody has the right to obstruct the flow of water of a river, he said adding, that the lagoons have connection with the main river so the encroachment badly affects the main river.
Shahidur Rahman, secretary of Bangladesh Nodi Bachao Andolan (Save the River Movement, Bangladesh), Pabna district unit, said river encroachment is a crime, the criminals must be punished.
"What is going on in Luxmikunda union is a crime on broad daylight. Local administration must stop this crime. This is a matter of question how so many illegal brickfields could be established encroaching river,"Shahid said.
Talking with the Daily Star, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Md Abdulla Al Mamun said the district administration is continuing raids in different areas whenever allegation surfaces.
"Whenever we get information about illegal sand and soil extraction from the river, we conduct drive in the area, recently we have arrested four people in connection with illegal sand lifting," the ADM said.
Asked about the mushrooming illegal brickfields in the union, the ADM said, "We have already asked the department of environment and BSTI to look into their papers."
Comments