Soil cutting festival in Srivardi, agricultural land is disappearing

 

Md. Rezaul Karim Zoadder

Staff reporter

Influential circles are openly cutting the soil of 3 crop lands illegally. Crop land cutting festival is going on. Three-crop agricultural land is turning into ponds. Day by day crop production is decreasing, farmers are unemployed, environment is getting polluted.

Heavy trucks and Mahendra trolleys are being used to transport soil and union and rural roads are getting damaged. In violation of the law, such activities are going on in Singha Baruna Union of Srivardi Upazila of Sherpur District, soil is being cut with Vekku machines in brick kilns in different villages. The entire area has been engulfed in dust fog due to illegal Mahendra movement.

According to sub-sections of Bricklaying and Installation of Kilns and Excavation of Agricultural Lands Act (Regulation) 2013, no underground sand or soil shall be extracted by pump or dredging or any other means. If anyone violates the law, there is a provision of jail or fine.

According to the inquiry, Salman, a soil trader of Karnjhora village, has been cutting and selling cropland soil without approval for a long time.

Agriculture officials say the top 10 to 12 inches of cropland has organic matter in the soil. When that soil is cut, the organic matter of the land is lost. It causes permanent damage to the land. Cutting of crop land is therefore illegal.