Illegal sand lifting from the Jamuna River in Baniajan area under Dhunat upazila of the district threatens an under-construction flood control embankment and a cluster village.

Locals said the government has undertaken a project of erecting a 1.2 km long flood control embankment from Gorali to Koyagari area under the upazila at a cost of Tk 42 crore to protect farmlands, houses and other establishments from onslaught of the river.

Locals said the river devours homesteads, croplands, schools mosques and other establishments every year.

Influential people are lifting sand from the river bed using shallow-machine-run dredger and selling it to the local contractor, threatening the project by increasing the possibility of erosion, locals said.

Muzaffar, Abdur Rahman and Abdul Jalil of Shaharabari village under the upazila said the sand lifting will threaten the flood control embankment.

Contacted, Harunur Rashid, sub-divisional engineer of Water Development Board, said the sand is being lifted from the middle of the river and it will not affect the flood control embankment on the western side of the Jamuna River.