Garo hills losing beauty : Stones, sands looting continues from hills, rivers in Jhenaigati
Khorshed Alam, Sherpur
Stone and sand looting from the hills and rivers of Jhenaigati in Sherpur continues unabated.
As a result, the natural beauty of the Garo Hills is being lost. It has been learned that based on this very beauty, a tourism center was established in 1993 by the initiative of the district administration at Gajni in the Garo Hills of the upazila.
The tourism center was named Gajni Obokash Entertainment Center after the name of the mouza. Every year, millions of travel-thirsty visitors from across the country visit this tourism center. The government earns a significant amount of revenue from this location. Surrounding the tourism center are hills, canals, wetlands, rivers, and streams, which add to its charm.
However, local influential individuals are damaging the beauty and ecological balance of the Garo Hills by indiscriminately looting stones and sand from the surrounding rivers, canals, wetlands, streams, and hills of the tourism center. It has been reported that local influential sand mafias are freely looting stones and sand from the rivers, hills, and streams of Kalghosha river’s Halchati, Malitila, Gandhigaon, Bankakura, Dorbeshtola, Mongol Jhura, Paschim Bankakura, ‘5 Number’ location, Choto Gajni, Gajni, and nearby areas in Kansha Union of the upazila.
Reportedly, hundreds of sand looters are looting stones and sand worth millions of taka day and night and selling them in various parts of the country. These sands and stones are transported day and night using trucks, Mahindra vehicles, and trollies. Since these sand mafias are influential, no one dares to even speak out against them, let alone protest. If anyone does speak up, they are met with threats and intimidation from the sand mafias.
Even so, the upazila administration and the forest department occasionally conduct raids. Mahindra vehicles loaded with sand are being seized. Yet the looting of stones and sand from the Garo Hills continues unabated. According to the forest department, in the week before Eid, they seized 5 Mahindra vehicles loaded with sand during raids. At that time, the sand mafias attacked the gate in front of the office of the Rangtia Forest Range Officer and verbally abused the officials and employees with offensive language.
On the night of June 4, when 8 to 10 Mahindra vehicles loaded with sand were being smuggled, the sand mafias physically assaulted a local journalist and issued death threats when questioned about the legality of the sand at the upazila headquarters market. Earlier, when a mobile court punished sand workers, the sand mafias organized a protest against the UNO.
Currently, the illegal looting of stones and sand has not stopped. Smuggling continues relentlessly day and night. Due to the unrestricted looting of stones and sand from the hills, rivers, canals, and streams, the natural beauty and environmental balance are under severe threat.
Gajni Forest Beat Officer Salehin Newaz said that due to a lack of manpower and security issues, they are struggling to stop the sand mafias who operate under the cover of night.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ashraful Alam Russel said that assistance from the military will be sought if necessary to stop the illegal looting of sand.
