Illegal sand lifting on defying all orders

A section of vested quarters continue illegal sand lifting from different areas of Meghna River in Chandpur, defying orders from the court and administration.Photo: STAR

A vested quarter is lifting sand from the Meghna River using a number of dredgers in an unplanned way for about three years although they had the permission for dredging for only five months.
Some areas near the bank of the Meghna under Chandpur Sadar upazila have been facing serious river erosion and environmental threat for the last couple of years.
When local administration objected to the illegal lifting of sand, one Selim Khan filed several writ petitions with the High Court and continued lifting sand.
The Supreme Court on March 1 issued stay order on lifting of sand but the sand lifter is not abiding by the order. BIWTA authorities also sent letter to the sand lifter asking him to stop lifting sand but he did not heed to it.
On a spot visit it was found that Selim Khan Enterprise of Puran Bazar in Chandpur has been lifting several thousand cubic feet sand from the river using five dredgers in Sathua area.
Due to its impact river erosion is taking place from Sathua to Zafarabad. About 200 to 300 dwelling houses and croplands have gone under the river in the area in last one year, villagers said.
Sathua union Parishad chairman Hafez Bepari said, the sand lifters in March 2008 got permission from the land ministry for only five months but he is lifting sand for about three years now in an unplanned way causing serious erosion in the area.