Padma embankment wearing away due to illegal sand lifting
Illegal sand lifting from the Padma is believed to be a reason behind the erosion of its banks and damage to the flood-protection embankment in some places of Rajshahi city and four upazilas in the district.
However, the authorities concerned who are supposed to monitor and make daily reports are apparently turning a blind eye.
All the eight sand traders, who got lease of 11 Balumahals (designated sand quarries) in the river in Rajshahi, are allegedly lifting sand from outside the designated sites during the night. According to the lease documents, the traders are not supposed to dredge at night.
Unplanned and illegal dredging can disturb the natural balance of rivers, leading to dramatic and unforeseen changes such as increased erosion, according to environment activists.
Even though there has been no step to stop the illegal sand lifting, the Water Development Board (WDB) is currently working on two projects -- involving Tk 355.17 crore -- to protect the worst-affected parts of the city embankment and affected areas in Poba, Godagari, Charghat and Bagha upazilas.
One of the projects' aim is to repair 2.28km of a dam near Rajshahi Cadet College which lost 17 acres of its land to the river.
The college authorities believed illegal sand lifting is to blame for the poor state of the embankment there.
Talking to The Daily Star, Principal Col Md Habib Ullah said the WDB had begun implementing a Tk 87 crore project last year to protect the institution and other important establishments in the area. But the dredging continued, he said.
WDB Chief Engineer Mohammad Ali said another Tk 267.17-crore project for saving 5km of the embankment from Bulonpur to Sonaikandi of the city would begin in the next dry season.
Erosion is a natural river trend, he said, adding that dredging from beyond the sites selected by the authorities would definitely have some adverse impact on the river.
Asked, he claimed that he was unaware of any violation of the rules by the sand traders who have got lease of Balumahals.
THE SAND TRADERS
This year, all the 11 Balumahals in the district were leased out to eight sand traders, who have direct links with ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, said district administration officials and locals.
Azizul Alam Bentu, organising secretary of the Rajshahi City AL, has alone got lease of three Balumahals, 406 acres in the river, in Poba and Godagari upazilas.
Contacted, Azizul said he coordinates sand trade in all the 11 Balumahals. He said they had dredged the river wherever it had strong currents so that silt could fill those up.
One of Azizul's companions, Babar Ali, who is Horipur union Jubo League president, got the lease of the biggest Balumahal (3,142 acres) in the district, for Tk 75 lakh, according to the lease documents. City unit Swechchhasebak League Vice-president Anwar Hossain got 140 acres in Godagari.
Other lease holders who got Balumahals below 100 acres are Rajshahi city ward-1 AL General Secretary Rajab Ali, Charghat Jubo League President Mahmudul Hasan, Rajshahi district Bangladesh Chhatra League General Secretary Merajul Islam, son of a former lawmaker Aktarruzzaman Rony and Charghat Municipality Ward unit AL General Secretary Ahsan Habib.
Locals and some district administration officials said they did not hear about any drive against “illegal” sand lifting.
During spot visits between October and November, The Daily Star correspondent saw two dredgers in operation in Tangon area that according to the lease deeds where not Balumahals. The areas from where sand was being lifted were close to the Balumahals leased out to Azizul.
Azizul, however, denied having any knowledge of lifting sand outside the designate areas.
Many houses, farmland and chars in at least 10 villages were washed away in strong currents over the years, said locals.
During the 22-day ban on hilsa netting that ended on November 2, the dredging went on. Environmentalists say that such practices hamper the spawning of the fish.
Contacted, Mohammad Salahuddin, additional deputy commissioner (revenue) of Rajshahi, said they hardly monitored the dredging activities after leasing out the Balumahals since “no one filed any complaints”.
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said usually in Bangladesh, no environment assessment is done before leasing out Balumahals to traders.
It is high time the authorities concerned took the matter seriously, she added.
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