Illegal sand lifting threatening Bangabandhu Bridge

NEWS reports said that a syndicate of influential traders is illegally extracting sand from the Jamuna River at a place closer to Bangabandhu Bridge putting threat to its existence. They are lifting sand from the riverbank for the past three months about a kilometer away from the bridge site under Kalihati Upazila of Tangail district. Reports said around 12 traders having close link with the ruling party establishments are running the business. But it is going unchallenged from the law enforcers and such local administration. The area is under Bangladesh Bridges Authority (BBA) where removal of sand from riverbed is highly critical to the stability of the bridge and yet the dredging is going round the clock. Reports said actually lifting of sand is prohibited as far as over six kilometers of the bridge site but the authorities are sitting with their legs crossed and eyes shut.
We really wonder why the government and its local bodies are not acting quickly. Such lifting also puts fresh threat of riverbank erosion to lead to degradation of riparian and aquatic biota and then to undermining the foundation of the bridge and other structures around the area. We fear that continued sand lifting will wreak havoc on whatever marine ecosystem and fish and bird stocks are still available in the area. But instead of taking into account all such threats to a vital infrastructure, we see the authorities appear to have rather given approval to build a road across the New Dhaleswari, a tributary of the Jamuna, at the east side of the bridge at Beltia to carry the sand. Otherwise, the question is how a road can be built evading the notice of the local authorities concerned. Over 400 trucks are now using the road running the business. Experts fear that any change in riverbed may slowly change the course of the Jamuna River; which may in turn harm the livelihoods of villagers along the river in course of time.
Reports said the sand traders stopped the lifting the sand following reports in a local daily but they resumed the lifting apparently with fresh word of support from political quarters.
It appears that the entire country is now in grabbers’ hand and even the riverbed is not spared. We urge the government to urgently look into the matter and stop such activities that may eventually put threat to the vital bridge.