Breaking of surface dam, photo-Morningsun.
Jaintapur (Sylhet) Representative //

The embankment is breaking, ‘people are crying’, the sand-stone sand-sand syndicate cycle is not stopping. This sand-stone extraction festival is going on under the nose of the administration. Apart from this, as the Baragang Sari-Gwain embankment is not protected, the arrows of suspicion of the locals are now towards the administration.

In 1977, the Water Development Board Sari-Goain Dam Project constructed a dam covering an area of ​​about 17 km along the Baragang river in Jaintapur. Many people of seven wards are living there. Apart from housing and arable land, there are various institutions. This project was mainly implemented to protect against floods caused by mountain slopes and strong river currents. Now that dam is about to disappear.

This embankment protecting the coast along the river is continuously being broken throughout the year. Erosion continues in all seasons of the year. The embankment is breaking again and again, and the people of the coast are floating in the water of eyes and rivers. However, showing a thumb to the law, a group of influential workers are extracting sand from Ferighat Baragang Bridge in East Lakshiprasad village of Nijpat Union. Already about one and a half kilometers dam has been broken. For mysterious reasons, the local administration is not moving. Locals have filed a written complaint to prevent this, but no work is being done.

The erosion situation becomes dire every monsoon season. Markets, roads, educational institutions, agricultural land are disappearing in vast towns. Many public and private establishments are under threat. Panic increases here when monsoon comes. Even if the monsoon is gone now, the fear does not end. The people here are disorientated by the erosion throughout the year. If it is broken like this, the embankment will eventually disappear.

It is known that, for the sake of security of the embankment area, the sand and stone extraction is supposed to be collected by maintaining a distance of 180 feet below, but the syndicate group is showing thumbs up to the local administration and is continuing these misdeeds.

Meanwhile, several people from the local area, who did not wish to reveal their names, told the reporter that this sand-stone lifting festival is being managed by some dishonest policemen including 2-3 yellow journalists. Several other officers of the UNO office are involved in this. They expressed their anger and said that the three kilometer area of ​​the embankment made by the Water Development Board Wapdar is currently in extreme danger.

Prior to this, in 1988, when the Ferighat Bridge collapsed due to landslides, it caused great damage to people. Later, in 1990, the dam was rebuilt with large boulders over a kilometer section to protect it. It can be seen on the surface, the boulder stones were also taken away by the group of stone cutters during the night.

In this regard, Ismail Ali of East Lakshiprasad village said that two years ago the local people seized the sand lifting boat and sank it. Since then, Kuchkri Mahal has been threatening attacks and lawsuits in various ways. He said that if sand extraction and stone theft cannot be controlled, the embankment will break and cause a terrible disaster.
Abdul Latib said, in 2017-18, I filed a written complaint with the upazila administration asking for a remedy to protect the embankment. Later, Maureen Karim, the then upazila executive officer saw the dilapidated condition of the surface dam and hung a red target up to 180 feet in the river and removed all kinds of sand from the inner part of the target and Prohibition on stealing stones. But even if the sand extraction is stopped for a few months, the sand-rock cycle becomes active again at night.

Abdul Hannan said that the local businessmen of the area were banned many times, but they did not listen. Local businessmen Zamir Mollah, Amin Miah, Shekhar Babu, Rafiqul, Ruhul Ahmad and Anaish Miah are involved in this gang.
He also said that a few months ago a person named Mo Ismail Ali took the lease of Baragang Balu Mahal. Since then, the circle became reckless in extracting sand from the area adjacent to the embankment.

Meanwhile, the common people of East Lakshiprasad village and neighboring areas have submitted a memorandum to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer seeking a permanent remedy. The upazila administration is not moving.

Recently (September 21), when the barge workers went to extract sand from the embankment area, they got into an argument with the villagers. Currently there is intense tension between the two.

Jaintapur Upazila Water Development Board Deputy Assistant Engineer Riaz Parvez was contacted on his phone to know about this, he told Morning Sun that after inspecting the incident, they have submitted a report to UNO. He said that he got the facts of the incident. At that time, he said, it is not our job to identify those involved in the incident and bring them under the law.

Jaintapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Umm Salik Rumaiya was contacted on the phone about this, she expressed her responsibility and avoided the issue of sand-stone lifting and receiving complaints and said that the reconstruction work of the embankment has not started yet. The matter should be investigated and reported. In response to another question, he said that some land in Baragang area has been leased for sand extraction. At this time, he said, nothing can be said before the on-site investigation by the surveyor and tasildar.