Chattogram Bureau :
Mindless sand lifting from the Tangkabati River in Amirabad area of South Chattogram’s Lohagara Upazila has affected serious erosion in large areas, forcing 32 families to leave their ancestral home during the last couple of years.
Vast farmlands, a few roads, a temple and an old bazaar has already gone into the riverbed and hundreds of families are under threat due to the erosion. The families who have already left the area belong to the Hindu community living for generations in Banik Para, Brammon Para, and Shil Para of the upazila.
Sumon Dhar, whose family took shelter at a relative’s house at Dharmapur in Dohazari upazila around one and a half years ago, echoed the same. During a visit to the area a couple of days ago, this correspondent saw that a large number of villagers are facing threat due to the erosion.
Tapon Chakrabarty, 55, priest of a local Bishnu Temple, said the illegal sand lifting has virtually destroyed the ancient temple.
Local people alleged that ruling party men Md Rafiqul Islam Chowdhury and Md Yousuf, among others, are involved in the illegal sand lifting business for long. The sand lifters gave death threat to those who protested, they said.
Contacted, UNO Abu Aslam said, “We didn’t give permission to anyone to extract sand from the Tangkabati River.”
Showkat Ibne Shahid, sub Divisional Engineer (Additional charge) of Water Development Board’s Patiya Office in Chattogram, said.
“The major cause of serious erosion by the Tangkabati river is sand lifting. We urged the local administration on several occasion to take action against sand lifters but they failed.”
