The soil of the crop land in Gurudaspur of Natore is going to the brick field. Hundreds of bighas of crops are being destroyed. At the same time, the cultivable land is losing its fertility. Crop production has started declining. This condition is caused by cutting off the top layer of soil.
Seeing the temptation of the farmers, the brick kiln owners are cutting the soil of these crop lands with Dedarache Veku machines. Even then the local administration is playing a silent role.
Surajmin Upazila has been visited in different places, including Mashinda, Khubjipur, Biaghat, Nazirpur, Dharabarisha and Chapila of Gurudaspar. The landowners are selling it to the brick kiln owners without realizing it. Although the fertility of the land has started declining, the local agriculture office is not warning the farmers about this.
Visiting several areas of the upazila including Mashind, Khubjipur Onajirpur UP on Friday, it was seen that Messrs. Haji Quader Brix of Alhaj Abdul Quader Pramanik of the upazila, Messrs. Hakim Brix of Abdul Hakim, Mamun Brix of Abdul Al Mamun, Messrs. Md. Rana Rana of Nazirpur (Chandrapur) is openly buying land in many brickfields called Brix. So much so that not only crop lands are being destroyed but also roads, ghats, environment and animals are being destroyed.
In this regard, the owner of the brick field, Al Mamun, admitted that the soil of the crop land had been cut off. However, they could not show any valid documents of the brick kiln.
On condition of anonymity, a number of conscious people in the Mashinda area of Gurudaspur said that selling the land on the surface of the crop land in a brick kiln meant a huge loss to the farmer. He said there are about 7 to 8 brickfields in the crop land in Gurudaspur now. And to make these low-lying bricks, the soil of the crop lands of different areas of the upazila is being collected. He said that they are managing the local administration and cutting the surface soil of the crop land.
Jalal Uddin, a farmer in Mashinda area, said he sold his two bighas of crop land because he got more money. Later, he did not know whether the land would be harvested as before.
Zahurul Haque Sarkar, a lecturer at Gurudaspur Bilchalan Shaheed Samsuzzoha Government College, said the main fertility of the land lies in the surface of the soil. And if this soil (top soil) is cut, it takes 10-12 years to store its fertile energy. If the top soil of crop lands like Gurudaspur is being cut down all over the country, if it continues like this, in the next 10-12 years, agricultural lands may become uncultivated and food crisis may arise in the country.
Natore District Agriculture Officer Mahmudul Farooq said many brickfields have been built without following government rules. Which we discourage. Moreover, crop lands are being wasted due to various reasons. There is no opportunity to change the class of land. Officials at the upazila level have been asked to strictly monitor these matters.
Gurudaspur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Tamal Hossain said that necessary action will be taken after investigating the matter.
