Illegal sand extraction poses landslide risk

Illegal sand extraction in Maheshkhali, a coastal island upazila in Cox's Bazar, is putting hundreds of hillside residents at risk of landslides, alleged locals.

They claimed political party activists have formed a syndicate extracting 20 to 50 truckloads of sand daily from a site known as "Chaliyatali Balur Dale" in Kalamarchhara union.

Despite several drives by the upazila administration, authorities have failed to stop the illegal activity.

Locals said sand extraction intensifies during the monsoon, when rainwater washes sand down from the hills and deposits it in the basin. The syndicate collects and sells the sand, transporting it by truck or dumper to Matarbari, Badarkhali, and other parts of Maheshkhali.

Each truckload reportedly sells for around Tk 2,500.

Md Sajminul Islam, assistant conservator of forests of the Coastal Forest Division in Maheshkhali, admitted sand trafficking from the area.

He said the sand originates from hills under his department's jurisdiction in Mouza-12 and is washed down to the basin by rain.

However, the basin is on khas land (government land not under forest jurisdiction), so the forest department cannot take direct action.

He said the department ensures no one extracts sand directly from the hills, but residents illegally settled near the basin now face a high risk of landslides due to sand removal.

"These sandy hills have been severely degraded, partly because of houses built illegally and roads constructed through natural water channels," he said. "If the sand extraction stops, erosion from the hills will also reduce."

Abu Bakkar, journalist and general secretary of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon's Moheshkhali unit, said, "Although drives are conducted in response to media pressure, traffickers are often tipped off ahead of time, making operations ineffective."

UNO Md Hedayet Ullah said the administration is aware of the issue and has carried out multiple drives against the traffickers.

"I personally led a drive and seized some equipment from the site. Local law enforcement has also been instructed to act," he said.