Rein in sand lifters from rivers

It is worrying to note that lifting of sand illegally from rivers is going on in different places in the country. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the Pungli railway bridge on the Dhaka-North Bengal route and the Pungli bridge on the Dhaka-Bangabandhu bridge highway on the Pungli River in Kalihati upazila, and the Tangail town protection embankment in Tangail Sadar are under threat because of illegal sand lifting from the Pungli. In the past, we have seen the damage that illegal sand lifting can cause—from ruining rivers to damaging bridges and embankments.

As stated in the report, this malpractice was responsible for suspension of train services between the capital and the northern and south-western districts for 36 hours, as the soil under one of the approaches to the railway bridge was washed away by floodwaters on August 20, 2018. This man-made menace has now threatened the existence of the establishments like Pungli Primary School, Pungli railway and highway bridges, the Tangail town protection embankment, Elenga Bridge and hundreds of homesteads by the side of the river.    

Some influential people are engaged in these illegal activities due to their links with political parties, as well as public representatives. It is painful to note that successive governments have failed to take action against the people serving their sinister purpose caring little for the suffering of the masses. These activities detrimental to the interest of the state and the people should not be allowed to continue any longer. The district and the upazila administrations should not turn a blind eye to such occurrences. They should take stringent measures against these people irrespective of their political identities in the interest of maintaining rule of law. The lawmakers of the respective areas have vital roles to play in this regard.     

Are not the illegal sand lifters equally responsible for destroying water bodies of the country like the encroachers and polluters of the same? Time has come for them to face the music. At the same time, initiatives from the top echelons of the government are needed to tackle these cases of ubiquitous corruption indulged in by the influential ones enjoying patronage.

 

 

Rein in sand lifters from rivers

It is worrying to note that lifting of sand illegally from rivers is going on in different places in the country. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, the Pungli railway bridge on the Dhaka-North Bengal route and the Pungli bridge on the Dhaka-Bangabandhu bridge highway on the Pungli River in Kalihati upazila, and the Tangail town protection embankment in Tangail Sadar are under threat because of illegal sand lifting from the Pungli. In the past, we have seen the damage that illegal sand lifting can causefrom ruining rivers to damaging bridges and embankments. As stated in the report, this malpractice was responsible for suspension of train services between the capital and the northern and south-western districts for 36 hours, as the soil under one of the approaches to the railway bridge was washed away by floodwaters on August 20, 2018. This man-made menace has now threatened the existence of the establishments like Pungli Primary School, Pungli railway and highway bridges, the Tangail town protection embankment, Elenga Bridge and hundreds of homesteads by the side of the river. Some influential people are engaged in these illegal activities due to their links with political parties, as well as public representatives. It is painful to note that successive governments have failed to take action against the people serving their sinister purpose caring little for the suffering of the masses. These activities detrimental to the interest of the state and the people should not be allowed to continue any longer. The district and the upazila administrations should not turn a blind eye to such occurrences. They should take stringent measures against these people irrespective of their political identities in the interest of maintaining rule of law. The lawmakers of the respective areas have vital roles to play in this regard. Are not the illegal sand lifters equally responsible for destroying water bodies of the country like the encroachers and polluters of the same? Time has come for them to face the music. At the same time, initiatives from the top echelons of the government are needed to tackle these cases of ubiquitous corruption indulged in by the influential ones enjoying patronage.