Illegal soil excavator operator fined Tk 30,000

A mobile court in Atwari Upazila of Panchagarh has fined an individual Tk 30,000 for illegally excavating soil with an excavator and using it to fill a reservoir.

The mobile court was conducted in the Balia area of Aloakhoa Union by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) and Executive Magistrate Ripamoni Devi on Sunday (June 7).

According to the administration, fertile soil was being illegally excavated from agricultural land with an excavator and dumped into a roadside reservoir.

Acting on a tip-off, officials from the upazila administration, accompanied by police personnel, visited the site and found evidence of the illegal excavation and filling activities.

Following the inspection, a mobile court was held on the spot. Under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995, a fine of Tk 30,000 was imposed on an excavator operator and businessman named Paltu, son of Pojir Uddin of Morichpara village in neighboring Baliadangi Upazila.

Executive Magistrate Ripamoni Devi stated that the removal of fertile topsoil from agricultural land poses a serious threat to both the environment and agricultural production.

She emphasized that such activities are completely illegal without proper government authorization.

She further said that the administration will continue conducting regular drives to protect the environment and preserve agricultural land.

In addition to the fine, authorities ordered the restoration of the reservoir that had been filled with soil. Necessary measures have been taken to remove the dumped soil and restore the reservoir’s natural water flow, she added.