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Stone plunderers active again in Garo hills

Illegal quarries mushrooming under the nose of administration in two upazilas of Sherpur

JAHANGIR ALAM, back from Sherpur
Netrakona: Illegal stone extraction by organised syndicates has started again in Garo hills in Jinaigati and Nalitabari upazilas in Sherpur district, threatening ecological balance and depriving the government of huge revenue.
It remained stopped for about two years following vigilance by the local administration and law enforcers.
Stone are being collected now by digging earth in the hills, which will also cause massive landslides in the areas, local people said.
There are at least 35 such illegal quarries in the two upazilas.
This correspondent visited one such quarry at Rangtia village in Jinaigati upazila recently.
Local people said the stone
collectors get Tk 25 to Tk.30 for extracting one cubic feet of stone. Accumulated stones were seen on yards of almost every house.
It was gathered from the villagers that stone collectors and traders do not face any obstruction from the administration in extracting and transporting those.
Earlier, stones were collected by some designated contractors on orders from government departments for their use in construction of roads and protection of embankments of hill river in the area.
As stone collection is profitable, some powerful syndicates began the trade with blessings from certain people in the administration and in the Forest Department, local people alleged.
Aminul Islam a sub-contractor at
Rangtia village told this correspondent that traders enjoying blessings allegedly from some local ruling party leaders pay them regularly before collecting stones. There are 12 to 14 businessmen who buy stones from sub-contractors.
Aminul Islam said the big quarries in the areas are at Rangtia, Godagari, Lamapara in Jinaigati upazila and Baromary and Laochapra in Nalitabari.
Nurnnabbi, a stone collector at Lamapara village in Jinaigati upazila said they collect stone by digging deep into the earth. To collect good quality stones, they have to dig up to 20 to 30 feet. Nurunnabi said sub-contractors always press them to extract good stones by digging deep into the earth.
Some local people said, they complained to the administration and Forest Department officials, but the illegal stone collection has not been stopped.
When contacted, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Mymensingh Forest Division Akbar Hossen said they will take steps to stop the illegal stone collection. Hill cutting is strictly prohibited, so stone collection from hills is illegal, he said.
He admitted that the illegal extraction is threatening the ecological balance, which may trigger massive landslides in the coming monsoon.
Stone extraction also affects flow of water underneath the soil, which may ultimately turn the hills barren, he said.