Topsoil removal wreaks fertility of cropland
Cutting off top soil from croplands for selling it to the brick kilns is still going on unabatedly at different places in Tangail, defying laws.
A section of greedy earth traders is cutting off the top soil from the croplands after buying from the landowners.
The ill practice is damaging the fertility of the lands alongside destroying environment and ecological balance.
Moreover, rampant movement of numerous earth-laden heavy trucks and other illegal vehicles like tractor is damaging the rural roads and posing risk of accidents.
"Fertility of cropland is reduced to a great extent and production declines due to cutting the top layer, increasing risk of food shortage in future," Ahsanul Bashar, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Tangail, said.
Meanwhile, the illegal activities of cutting of top soil are going on in different places of Ghatail upazila, including Sadhur Gologondo, Bosubari, Birchari Chande Para, Deopara, Sholakipara, Taltala and Garobazar.
Local people said in addition to cutting croplands, the earth traders are also flattening the hillocks of red soil from different places in the upazila.
A section of public representatives is also involved with them, they alleged.
The locals cannot register protest against the ill practice fearing repercussion from the earth traders as they are influential people having political clout.
"Being informed, we launched a mobile court drive against the earth plunderers at Digholkandi and Deolabari areas on Tuesday and realised Tk 30,000 as fines from them," Anjan Kumar Sarkar, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) in Ghatail, said.
"Action will be taken if we are informed of such illegal activities anywhere in the upazila," he said.
On the other hand, the same practice is going on at different places in the other upazilas in the district. Mirzapur is one of them.
Mobile court drives were also launched at different places in the upazila in the last couple of days and Tk 2,50000 was realized as fine from the earth plunderers, said Jubayir Hossain, assistant commissioner (Land) in Mirzapur, adding that an excavator was also destroyed during the drive.
Mujahidul Islam, deputy director of Directorate of Environment (DoE) in Tangail, said permission is a must from the local administration for cutting earth for brick kilns from anywhere.
A total of 270 brick kilns remain operational at 12 upazilas in the district. Mirzapur hosts 98 and Ghatail upazila has 68.
Many of the brick kilns were set up violating the laws and running even after filing writ petitions to the higher courts, he said.
"We have already fined 27 brick kilns at different upazilas in the district," he added.
Drives will continue against such brick kilns in future," he said.
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