Cumilla Correspondent

Soil cutting of Gomti Char in Burichang does not stop Multiple syndicates are cutting soil from the Gomti River in the Burichang part of Cumilla .

Every day, as the evening approaches, a great festival of soil cutting by soil eaters takes place from 8 pm to 6 am. Due to the lack of proper supervision by the authorities, on the one hand, the government is losing a huge amount of revenue, on the other hand, the Gomti Dam is under threat due to soil cutting, thousands of acres of agricultural land are being destroyed. No one is seeing the silent tears that are breaking the heart of Gomti. Expressing their sorrow at the current scene of the Gomti River char, the locals said - they have eaten the entire river before.

Even then, their stomachs are not full. Now they are swallowing Gomti Char. They are also eating the soil of farmers' lands. They are so dangerous that even their names cannot be mentioned and protested. After visiting several points of the Gomti river char including Kamarkhara, Balikhara, Sripur in Burichang upazila of Cumilla and talking to local residents, it was learned that the cutting of the char soil starts late at night. It stops in the early hours of the morning. Most of the soil of the Gomti river char is taken to various brick kilns in hundreds of tractors.

The paved roads on the river bank have now become impassable due to the wheels of the tractors. Soil cutting has increased this year compared to the past. There is only lamentation across the damaged Gomti river char. However, those who will take action after hearing this lamentation are not seen on the river bank. The festival of soil looting from the char is going on. At the same time, it has become difficult for the residents of the Gomti river bank to survive in the dust and sand. Children's diseases are increasing. The soil of the agricultural land of the Gomti river char is being plundered without any control. Looking at the entire area, it seems as if there is a competition for land. Since the fall of the fascist government, influential people in every area have been swallowing the river sand and the soil of the char. It has been learned from talking to local farmers that currently the fertile soil of the char agricultural land is being eroded with hoes and spades in most places. Due to this, the amount of agricultural land in the char area of the Gomti River is decreasing every day. And the defensive embankments on both sides of the Gomti River are also weakening day by day. Locals are fearing a major accident if the tide rises in the river during the monsoon. Also, last year, the embankment of the Gomti River broke through the Burichang section, leaving thousands of people stranded and their houses submerged.

It has been learned from inquiries at the District Administration and Water Development Board that the origin of the Gomti River is in Udaipur, Tripura state, India. The Gomti enters Bangladesh through the Cuttack Bazar area of Cumilla Adarsh Sadar Upazila. Later, it flows through Adarsh Sadar, Burichang, Brahmanpara, Debidwar, Muradnagar, Titas and Daudkandi upazilas of the district and merges with the Meghna River. The length of this river on the Bangladesh side is about 90 kilometers. Expressing anger over the issue, Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA), Cumilla General Secretary Ali Akbar Masum said that almost all the campaigns being carried out are for show. Because the main culprits are remaining out of reach.

Those who are being caught are just minor workers. There is political power behind the control of Gomti's sand and soil. The administration also knows that someone is controlling them. Until the administration properly enforces the law against the main culprits, the existence of Gomti will not be saved. The entire Gomti char is now damaged by soil eaters.

Expressing concern over the issue, Md. Mizanur Rahman, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Cumilla , said that the way the soil of agricultural land in Gomti char is being cut will create a big disaster. Gomti Char is one of the sources of vegetable production in Cumilla.

The way the soil is being cut this year, at least 700 acres of cropland will be lost from the char. . In this context, Cumilla Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Pankaj Barua said, our campaign to stop the cutting of soil in the Gomti River char is continuing. No one is being spared.

We have several magistrates working on this. No matter how influential these sand and soil bandits are, we will not spare them. Our campaign will continue. In this regard, Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman, Executive Engineer of the Cumilla Water Development Board, said, "Some people are stealing and cutting soil in Gomti Char. Despite the administration's efforts, the cutting of soil is not stopping. We want the locals of Gomti Char to create mass resistance.

We have already collected the names of some people and legal action is under process against them and a case will be filed officially.