Illegal sand lifting from Meghna, Titas to aggravate erosion

Sand being collected illegally from the bed of Meghna at Ashuganj. The photo was taken recently. PHOTO: STAR

The government is also being deprived of huge amounts of revenue from the sand lifters.

Groups of dishonest sand traders are lifting sand from Meghna river bed in Ashugonj, Beerganj, Kaderkhula and Daskandi and from Titas bed in in Uzanisher, Islampur, Budhumti, Shahbazpur and Chandura.

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They are digging the riverbeds up to 100 feet or more at places. As a result, both banks of Titas have become vulnerable at Islampur, Budhumti, Shahbazpur and Chandura, which may be breached in the coming rainy season, local people said while talking to this correspondent recently.

The Shahbajpur Bridge on the Titas may also be affected, they claimed.

One Mansur Ali Alias Dana Mia of Shahbazpur village in Sarail upazila submitted a written complaint to the Anti-corruption Bureau against such unauthorised sand lifting from the river bed there.

It was gathered that the unscrupulous traders lifted about one crore cubic feet of sand without paying any revenue to the government.

They pile up the sand on riverbanks, which obstructs movement of transports and people, local people alleged.

At times, traders take permission as a matter of formality but lift sand at will beyond specified areas. Md Asaduzzaman, president of Birganj union BNP in Nabinagar upazila, took permission from the Mineral Resources Ministry to lift sand only from Kderkhula and Daskandi points in the Meghna bed.

Asaduzzaman brought in a dredger machine and started a brisk business by lifting sand from several unauthorised areas.

Alarmed by the disastrous effect this may cause in the coming monsoon, local people submitted complaints to Nabinagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and then to Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner (DC).

Sources at the DC's office said their office did not give permission to any body to lift sand from Meghna and Titas riverbeds in the district.

Rather, they received complains against unauthorised sand lifting, they said.

When contacted, DC Md Younusur Rahman said, he sent officials to probe after receiving complains of unauthorised sand lifting at Shahbazpur and Nabinagar. They found that the Mineral Resource Ministry gave permission to Asaduzzamn to lift sand from 'limited areas' in the Meghna bed in Daskandi and Kedarkhula in Nabinagar. But he lifted huge quantities of sand from several points. A step has been taken to stop the unauthorised sand lifting there, the DC said.

The officials also visited Titas bed in Shahbajpur and realised Tk 20,00,000 revenue from the traders there, the DC said.