Illegal extraction of sand, stone destroying Sherpur forests

Local forest officials said they are threatened by the hired goons. The plunderers claim that they have leased the areas from where sand and stone are being lifted, they told this correspondent.

The plunderers dig big ditches covering large areas in forests and often use drilling machines to extract stones, which is destroying timber tees. They also take away trees, the officials said.

The 'illegal' activity is going on in Rangtia, Gajne and Tawakucha government forests because of lack of coordination between the forest and environment ministry and the mineral resources ministry, they said.

The influentials take a 'token lease' of small portions of the forest land at nominal rates for sand lifting but later extract stone from areas much more than specified in the papers, the officials said.

Unscrupulous employees of forest department and mineral resource ministry are also involved in the process, locals alleged.

The influencials are allegedly blessed by a section of local ruling party leaders. They even take away trees planted by shareholders under government's social afforestation project, which result in untoward incidents between lessees and plunderers.

Officials said the forest and environment ministry earlier last month passed an order to stop lifting of sand and stone, but the forest department does not have adequate manpower and logistics to enforce it.

The order angered the plunderers and they are now threatening forest officials and guards.

An official said the matter was brought to the notice of police but they remained 'indifferent' to it..

Besides plunder of the forest, the government is also being deprived of a huge amount of revenue every year because of this illegal extraction of sand and stone, he said.

When contacted, Divisional Forest officer (DFO) in Mymensingh Md Akbar Hossain said illegal lifting of sand and stone from Jhenaigati forests has created a lot of problems for the forest department. This will create an ecological problem in the hilly area but the forest department can not do anything as the plunderers show lease documents of the mineral resources division, he said.

"Besides, we have shortage manpower and logistics to protect forests".

He said there should be proper coordination between the forest and environment ministry and the mineral resources ministry to stop the 'illegal" activity.

Mymensingh divisional forest office wrote to Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Md. Osman Ghani about the latest developments. The forest and environment ministry then informed the energy and mineral resource ministry about the matter. But the matter ended there.

Former divisional forest officer (DFO) Md. Abdul Latif had also written to the authorities concerned several times for necessary action. Sources at the DFO office said several meetings were held between officials of the two ministries (forest and environment ministry and energy and mineral resources ministry) but there was no fruitful result.