Farmlands losing fertile topsoil to brick kilns in Jashore

The topsoil in vast areas of farmlands in Chaugachha upazila of Jashore district is being used for manufacturing bricks, leaving a harmful impact on agriculture and the environment.

Topsoil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, usually the top 5–10 inches (13–25 cm). It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.

Around 18 brick kilns have been set up in farmlands in the upazila, violating the government rule, and they all use the topsoil of the farmlands to make bricks.

In all these brickfields, hundreds of trucks and tractors are seen collecting the soil from arable land in the upazila.

Apart from this, wood is being burnt in some kilns in violation of the law of the Ministry of Environment.

Although the upazila administration has been conducting drives through mobile courts and imposing fines to the truckers for carrying soil and local sand to the brickfields but the extraction of topsoil is going on unabatedly.

Reflecting on the issue, Abdullah, a local fruit grower, said that as a result of cutting off the topsoil 5 percent of organic matter in the soil, which is essential for crop production, is becoming absent.

If this situation continues, the cultivable land will become barren land, he said.

Aminur Rahman, a farmer from Andarkota village, said the water flow was disrupted during the monsoon season as well as artificial water logging was created because of the soil extraction.

Upazila Deputy Assistant Plant Protection Officer Sheikh Shahidul Islam said, it takes several decades for topsoil to form to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.

This level also contains most of the organic matter and humus. Most of the parasites also live in this level, which also helps plants process food.

As a result, if this level of soil is cut off, the soil becomes lifeless, he observed.

He urged the authorities concerned to take immediate steps to stop the topsoil extraction.

Roich Uddin, upazila agriculture officer, said the nature of cultivable land is changing because of topsoil extraction.

Beneficial microorganisms, including earthworms in the first layer of the soil (pauciel), are becoming extinct.

As a result, if the topsoil of the soil is cut off in this way, at some point of time, there may be a deficit in food production at the national level, he observed.