Damage of Croplands
Brick kiln owners fined, ordered to shift within 3 months
Affected farmers in Lalmonirhat yet to get compensation
A mobile court in Tangail yesterday fined the owners of a brick kiln in Mirzapur upazila Tk 1 lakh for causing damages to vast tracts of nearby Boro paddy fields recently.
The court, led by Executive Magistrate Mainul Islam, also ordered the owners of NNB-2 Bricks in Bahuria Purbopara area to shift the brick kiln to other place within the next three months.
The owners of NNB-2 Bricks were fined Tk 1 lakh for constructing the brickfield in residential area and without any legal approval of the authorities concerned, said Mainul, also Mirzapur assistant commissioner (land).
They were also directed to shift their brick kiln to other place within three months, he said.
A team of Tangail Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and another team of Department of Environment in Tangail also accompanied the mobile court.
Mentionable, Abdur Rahim of Sohagpara village in the upazila and one of his relatives Rezaul Karim, a resident of Kodda area in Gazipur, started the brick kiln along vast tracts of cropland about a year ago.
Earlier, standing Boro paddies on at least 16 acres of land were completely damaged due to emission of excessive heat and hot air from the brick kiln on April 28.
After the incident, affected farmers protested the damage and eventually it came to the knowledge of the local administration.
Later, the brick kiln owners, through mediation of local agriculture officials and union parishad chairman concerned paid Tk 3, 32, 950 to 51 affected farmers as compensation for the damage.
Meanwhile, in Lalmonirhat, although an illegal brick kiln along agricultural land in Aditmari upazila was fined on Saturday, the affected farmers are yet to get the compensation for the damage even after 10 days of the incident, reports out Lalmonirhat correspondent.
Earlier, a mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Mohammad Asaduzzaman, also Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) fined the owners of AFH Bricks at Dewdona village Tk 1 lakh for not having any legal approval of running the brick kiln.
The court also ordered its owners to pay adequate compensation to the affected 20 farmers.
Toxic gas emitted from AFH Bricks damaged Boro paddy and other crops on about 20 acres of land about 10 days ago.
Aditmari Upazila Agriculture Officer Ali Noor said the damage occurred due to emission of excessive heat and hot air from the burner of the brick kiln.
Solaiman Ali, 62, an affected farmer of the village, said although the brick kiln was fined, we are yet to get our compensation for the damage.
Ashraful Islam, one of the three owners of the brick kiln, said the affected farmers will be given compensation soon.