How illegal sand extraction led to Khowai embankment breach

Residents and environmental activists have blamed years of illegal sand extraction for the recent breach of the Khowai River embankment in Habiganj on the night of July 9. Embankments or embankment

They allege that unchecked dredging weakened the structure and triggered flooding that affected, according to Habiganj Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Alamgir Hossain, at least 30 villages and marooned around 31,000 people.

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Following the breach on the embankment in the Kaliganj area, the Shayestaganj upazila administration seized two dredgers from the site and directed the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to file a case.

Shayestaganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Fazle Rabbani Chowdhury said the company using the dredgers had extracted sand from within about 200 metres at Laskarpur and about 100 metres at Aalapur, violating the conditions of its lease.

Although a mobile court took action against the company for breaching the lease conditions, it instructed the BWDB to file a regular case because the alleged offences were beyond its jurisdiction, he said.

BWDB Executive Engineer Sayedur Rahman said As per the instruction, the board filed a case on Monday against Iqbal Hossain, owner of Shamim Builders, and Mamunur Rashid for extracting sand in violation of the lease conditions.

Sub-Inspector Mohammad Abdul Kashem, the investigating officer of Shayestaganj Police Station, said the case alleges the accused extracted sand and soil too close to the embankment, weakening the structure and causing its collapse. The case is now under legal process, he added.

Despite repeated attempts, Iqbal and Mamunur could not be reached for comment.

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Meanwhile, residents of the area alleged illegal sand extraction had continued for years in the Charhamua area despite repeated warnings that it was endangering the embankment.

Md Saheb Ali, a member of Ward No. 5 of Laskarpur Union Parishad, said prolonged dredging had weakened the embankment, which collapsed along a 200-foot stretch within half an hour, inundating Noabad, Charhamua, Adyapasha, Bangaon Kaliganj, Sughar and Katiyadi villages.

Tofazzal Sohel, a waterkeeper of the Khowai river, said the Sand Quarry and Soil Management Act, 2010 prohibits extracting underground sand or soil through pumping or dredging, yet such practices continue, often beyond leased areas.

He warned that illegal dredging damages riverbanks and riverbeds, accelerates erosion and increases the risk of embankment failure.

Professor Dr Mohammad Jahirul Hoque, vice-chancellor of Metropolitan University, also blamed illegal dredging for the breach, saying embankments built with public funds would continue to fail unless authorities stopped the practice and held those responsible accountable.