Road collapses as illegal sand lifting goes unabated
Illegal sand lifting has led to the collapse of a lane of the old Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj while flash floods and landslide triggered by recent downpour has worsened the situation, locals said.
The lane in Ramganga Tea Garden area beside the Shatchhari National Park caved in on the night of July 13.
According to locals, mindless lifting of sand from canals led to the collapse. Now hundreds of houses, mostly of tea garden workers, are on the verge of collapse.
During a visit to the area about a week ago, this correspondent found people, including schoolgoers, using the damaged road risking their lives.
“Commuters’ woes turn worse when rainwater fills up the potholes. No vehicle can ply the road then,” said Monir Mia, a CNG-run autorickshaw driver.
He said that illegal sand lifting and heavy rain had led to the collapse of an approach road of a bridge linking Chunarughat and Madhabpur back in 2017. Road communication between the upazilas via the tea garden route had remained snapped for a day then, he recalled.
Lokkhi Rajbongshi of Ramgonga area said, “Illegal sand lifting leads to the damage of houses every monsoon. My house might crumble anytime. Where would I go then?” asked the 55-year-old tea garden worker.
“Landslide killed two female workers three years ago but the authorities concerned did not take any step against illegal sand lifting,” said Swapan Santal, a leader of the tea garden workers.
“Some houses collapsed during monsoon last year. The rest might get eroded this season as sand lifting is going unabated amid heavy rain,” he added.
The workers alleged that some wealthy locals with political links had been running the illegal sand business in the area for long now.
Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon Habiganj unit, said roads and houses get damaged every year due to illegal sand lifting by a section of businessmen connected to the ruling party.
“A good number of bridges and roads are in a rickety state now. Vast tracts of agricultural land have gone under water. But no-one is taking any step because the sand traders are influential people,” he told this paper.
The damaged portion beside the Shatchhari National Park had been marked by a red sign to alert people, said Moinuddin Iqbal, Chunarughat upazila nirbahi officer.
“Cracks have appeared at a number of points on the highway. Vehicular movement might be suspended anytime,” he said,
His office might take steps to protect the highway in case the Roads and Highways Department remained inactive in this regard, the UNO had said after visiting the spot about a week ago.
When asked about sand lifting, he said, “Immediate action would be taken against the illegal sand lifters.”
Narayan Saha, former head of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, observed that not only sand lifting and downpour but also unplanned tree felling was responsible for the damage of roads and highways in the zone.
Comments