Topsoil from over 300 bighas of farmland is used for brick manufacturing at 30 kilns in the district every year, much to the harm of soil fertility.

Brick kiln owners often create pressure on the farmers to sell topsoil, farmers at Madonerchak village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila said during this correspon-dent’svisitthereafewdays ago.

Removal of topsoil leads to low yield of crops from these lands, but the agriculture department is not doing anything to save the farmlands from the brick kilns, they said.

Officials dare not take any action against the harmful practice as the brick kiln owners are influential people, said a few agriculture officials on condition of anonymity.

Topsoil from around 10 bighas of land is needed to make 12 lakh bricks and each of 30 brick kilns manufacture 10 to 30 lakh bricks every year, said brick field sources.

"Labourers recruited by brick kiln owners collect topsoil from the nearby farmlands as the topsoil is very essential to manufacture best quality bricks,” said Nabirul Islam, 45, a

brick manufacturing labourer at Madonerchak village.

Sirajul Islam, 58, of Chaparhat village of Kaliganj upazila, said, he had to sell topsoil of his three bighas of farmlands to a local brick kiln owner this year, as his lands faced water crisis due to two feet digging in the neighbouring lands when its topsoil was sold a yearago.

Many other farmlands in the village are losing the topsoil every year, he said.

Sahidul Islam, owner of ASB Brick Kiln at Bamonerbasa village in Aditmari upazila, said, "We purchase topsoil from the farmland owners but never put any pressure on them forit”

The authorities concerned should take immediately step to stop the use of topsoil for brick manufacturing as it is badly affecting the agriculture and environ-ment, said Mamunur Rashid, agriculture and environment coordinator of NGO RD RS Bangladesh.

Safayet Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat, admitted that use of topsoil for brick manufacturing causes harm to agriculture in the district.

"I will take necessary step with the help of district administration to save the topsoil of farmlands from the brick kiln owners," he said.