A section of unscrupulous people have continued lifting of sand from Jomuneshwari River at Pairadaho area of Milonpur union under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district, threatening erosion of river bank, dwelling houses and arable lands.
According to the local sources a section of dishonest people are engaged with the act for a long time.
It is alleged that the sand traders are doing this illegal practice in collusion with some influential local political leaders and dishonest officials in the administration.
Some shallow machines have been set up for lifting sand from the river. The lifters stack the extracted sand nearby area and trucks take it to different areas, local sources alleged.
Hatem, a resident of the area said he lost 30 decimals of land due to river erosion last year caused by sand lifting from the Jomuneshwari. Kuddus Mia, a local farmer of the area said his 10 decimals of land have already gone under the river owing to illegal sand lifting from the river. Like Kuddus and Hatem, a number of farmers complained that during last few years they lost 20 per cent to 30 per cent of their cultivable lands to erosion caused by sand lifting.
A number of residents of the area said they were compelled to shift their houses fearing erosion. Many people are passing days in anxiety, they added.
Locals urged the authorities concerned to take adequate measures to stop the practice in order to protect the area and its adjacent areas from erosion.
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