100 illegal brick kilns eating croplands at Rupganj

RUPGAJ, NARAYANGANJ, Mar 13: About 100 illegal brick kilns are continuing to devour agriculture lands in Rupganj Upazila of the district.
Road-side trees and leaves have been dust-plastered. Air is spreading black smoke around.  Roads have turned deplorable. Vehicular movement is taking place slowly. There is dust and black smoke everywhere.
While talking with this correspondent of The Daily Observer, locals said that only before five/six years villages were carpeted with greens; fields were full of crops; and there were assembly of plants and trees.
A visit to Tarabo-Kanchan Municipality, Bholab-Daudpur-Golakandail-Rupganj unions found about 100 mushroomed brick fields in localities; these have been set up illegally. Soil is excavated in the dark of night from agriculture lands and brought to brick kilns.
According to field sources, In bringing the excavated soil, banned Ichhar Matha vehicles are used. These heavily loaded vehicles are damaging local roads. Accidents are frequent on these roads.
Thousands of people are suffering from black-smoke-caused diseases including sneezing and tough breathing. Illegal kilns are evading crore of Taka revenue. Both natural environment and future generation are at threat.
Farmer  Helal Uddin at Daudpur Union said, "I am used to cultivate paddy on three bighas of land. But this year adjacent lands have been excavated. Now my lands and others' lands are getting broken."
"I don't know whether paddy cultivation will be possible on the lands this year," he added.
Farmer Abdur Rahim at Taru Market under Bholab Union said, land-grabbers are cutting away soil with excavators; if protested, excavated soil is dumped in irrigation project canal or drain; so, crop-farming can't be possible because of irrigation crisis.    
Local Abdul Latif of Birab area at Kanchan Municipality said, crops and trees are getting burnt due to black some; local environment is destroyed, and moving is hampered due to dust in the dry season and clay in the rainy season.
When asked whether any action has been taken against illegal kilns, Rupganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shah Nusrat Jahan said, "We have already conducted mobile courts, and several kilns were fined. The mobile courting will continue."