Sand is being extracted illegally from various canals at Palongkhali unon in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, violating the government regulation. This is causing both erosion in the canal and environmental damage.
Local influential syndicates are lifting thousands of cubic feet of sand from canals using dredger machines. The government is also losing revenue because of it.
The people are aware about it said the local influential are lifting sand from two canals even though they do not have any lease. There are more than one strong syndicate who are committing the crime. Cases had been filed against them and they were fined as well. But none of these are stopping them.
The illegal sand extraction is causing canal erosion and destroying the environment as well. The villagers demanded legal actions to be taken against them.
When this correspondent visited the area, it was seen that there are two large sand quarries in Palongkhali union of Ukhiya upazila. These sand quarries, one near Plaongkhali canal and another near Balukhali canal are the largest.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Saleh Ahmed said auction or lease of the sand quarry near Palonkhali canal was halted due to legal complications. As leasing was halted, there is no opportunity to illegally extract sand from the canal.
Sources from Upazila Land Office said the forest department and police, led by AC Land Saleh Ahmed, seized dredger machines along with huge amount of sand by conducting drive while sand was being lifted from the canals.
However, the locals alleged that the administration has given legitimacy to destroy the environment by letting a syndicate buy the sand seized by the mobile court in auction.
Regarding the matter, Ukhiya Range Officer of Cox’s Bazar Forrest Department Ukhiya Range, Ghazi Md Shafiul Islam, said there is no opportunity to illegally extract sand. Sand, along with machines used for sand lifting, were already been confiscated by conducting drives several times while the sand was being extracted. The Forest Department has also filed departmental case against those who are damaging the environment by illegally lifting sand.
Meanwhile, an individual named Mohammad Shah Alamgir has not only been lifting sand, the local upazila administration has allegedly been helping him for some reason. According to the allegation, the upazila administration is helping him in various ways in illegally extracting the sand. As he is backed by the upazila administration, the local representatives could not stop him even though they tried many times, while his environmentally damaging activities continues.
It was learnt that, Mohammad Shah Alamgir bought the seized sand from the auction. Then he collected the sand that very day and sold it to another customer. However, as the government document said that he is to move the seized sand he bought from the auction within October 23 to November 15, now he is using this document to extract sand from other places, saying that he is not extracting sand illegally, he is only taking the sand that he bought from the auction.
A former union parishad member, seeking anonymity, said sand is being extracted from Palongkhali canal day and night using four dredgers. Widespread sand extraction in violation of government regulations has caused severe erosion in the Palongkhali canal.
Palongkhali Union Parishad Chairman said there is a chance that during the next monsoon, the embankment on the both sides of Palongkhali canal will be destroyed and the union will be flooded.
The environmental organizations have urged the administration concerned to intervene on this matter, so that the illegal sand extraction using dredgers on the canal can be stopped and the erosion of Palongkhali canal, along with the damage to the environment can be prevented.
