A newly constructed bridge at Satkhipur under Shariatpur upazila is under threat to collapse as sand is being illegally excavated from adjacent area to the pillars of the bridge.
According to sources, an influential quarter started to excavate sand with dredger from adjacent adrea to the pillars of the newly constructed Charbhanga Natun Bazaar area of Sakhipur police station. However, sensing the presence of journalists, the vested quarter hastily tried to leave the place with the dredger and the labourers.
It is learnt, Deputy-Minister for Water Resource Ministry of Bangladesh AKM Enamul Haque Shamim on September-29 this year inaugurated the works of river protection embankment to save 99 metre long RCC Guarder bridge at Charbangha Natun Bazaar area to ease thoroughfares of the people of Naria Upazila with Sadar district and with Kachikata, Chabhanga, Uttar Tarabunia, Sakhipur and adjacent unions. Local people requesting anonymity informed when the works of the long-cherished bridge were nearing completion with the construction of link roads in both sides, a vested quarter was engaged in excavating sand from close distance of the pillars of the bridge. They complained already nearly 700,000 cubic feet of sand has been lifted from behind the bridge and now new land is being filled up sand adjacent of the river. The dredger belonged to Dulal Mollah was now being used to excavate sand from behind the Akhtar Sikder bridge. On the plea of filling the land for construction of link roads, the vested quarter was actually filling up low lying land of one Monaf Mridha nearby.
Local people further informed, for last five years the connecting road with Naria upazila to Jajira upazila remained closed. The connecting side roads of a bridge has been collapsed due to indiscriminate excavation of sand from under that bridge. The newly constructed bridge near Charbhanga Natun Bazaar is also facing threat of collapse due to excavation of sand from near the pillars of the bridge.
Dredger owner Dulal Mollah informed, Upazila Engineer and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer have issued permission to the contractor of the bridge Baset Mia to excavate sand from behind the bridge. He said, sons of local chairman Swapon Shikder and Akhter Shikder have informed him about the permission of sand excavation from the area. He said, so far he has excavated 155,000 cubic feet of sand and he has no documents for permission of excavation of sand with him.
Shahjahan Mia, Executive Engineer of LGED informed, there was no scope to excavate sand from behind or from beside the bridge. He said, action would be taken against the illegal excavation of sand after investigation.
