Locals in Joynagar area of Manikganj municipality are complaining that an unusual erosion of hundreds of bighas of croplands in the locality along the Kaliganga river is the outcome of illegal and indiscriminate dredging in the river by unscrupulous sand traders. As the illegal sand lifting continues without any action from law enforcers, the nearby Beutha bridge, hundreds of houses, and croplands in the adjacent area are now under erosion threat.
The Sand Fields and Soil Management Act, 2010 prohibits the extraction of sand or soil within one kilometre of a bridge, culvert, dam, barrage, embankment, road, highway, forestland, rail track, and other important government and non-government establishments or residential areas. While the illegal sand extraction continues, Joynagar and its adjacent areas, Andharamanik, Char Beutha, Bandutia and Pauli are witnessing severe erosion of the river. Locals said the authorities concerned were informed multiple times of the illegal activities that had been endangering properties for years, but they took no action. The dredger operators even issued threats to anyone who had dared raise objection to the unauthorised dredging in the river. Influential political activists are behind the illegal activities for personal gains.
As locals faced repercussions before, no one nowadays dares protest the unlawful activities. Many important structures and establishments including Beutha bridge, Joynagar Government Primary School, Joynagar High School, Municipal Water Pump, Dr Joseph Memorial Hospital and various business establishments including a number of restaurants along the riverbank in Joynagar, Andharamanik, Char Beutha and Pauli areas under Manikganj municipality are now under erosion threat due to lifting of sand from the river. Unless sand extraction is stopped urgently, the establishments as well as properties and livelihoods of 25,000 residents of these areas will be lost to the river.
