Mud roads made across WDB canal to carry earth for brick kilns!
Two earthen roads built across a vital canal of Water Development Board (WDB) at Pathan para village in Saidpur upazila of the district are obstructing normal flow of water, thanks to the authorities' ignorance of the matter.
Two months ago, agents of local brick kiln owners illegally built the roads within 300 meters across WDB's Pochanala canal, flowing beside Saidpur municipality, for operating earth-laden tractors, said villagers.
Every year the authorities concerned dredges the canal for smooth water flow all the year round to keep municipality's environment balanced while farmers use its water for irrigation.
Mojibar Rahman Pramanik, 65, a resident of the area, said Sabur Khan, 50, and Mostofa Mir, 52, sons of Jalal Khan and Azgar Mir respectively built the roads across the canal so that earth-laden tractors can ply to and from different brick kilns.
The two are very influential persons of the locality, said Mojibar.
Member of Bangalipur union parishad Luthfar Rahman said the two agents even neglected their repeated pleas to remove the roads.
Finding no way, villagers wrote to executive engineer (ex-en) of WDB's Saidpur divisional office for removing the roads, he said.
Ex-en of WDB's local office Krishna Komol Chandra Sarker said he requested Saidpur upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) to conduct a mobile court against the offenders.
Executive Magistrate Porimal Kumar Sarker, also the assistant commissioner (land) of Saidpur, said they conducted a mobile court in the area on March 5 and arrested earth trader Sabur Khan with his tractor. However, another earth trader Mostofa Mir managed to flee the scene, leaving behind his tractor.
The court, led by the magistrate, later fined Sabur Tk 50,000 and issued directive to remove both earthen roads from the canal by three days.
But the roads are yet to be removed, said local people.
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