Unauthorised stone extraction goes on unhindered in Sylhet

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FE Team | Published: January 18, 2025 22:10:21

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OUR CORRESPONDENT
SYLHET, Jan 18: Illegal stone extraction, predominantly by a section of people possessing political influence, is going on unabated in different places of Sylhet district, creating environmental hazards.
Despite regular administrative drives to stop the illegal activity, stone looters are prowling through different quarries in the district, including Jaflong, Sadapathar, Bichnakandi, and Bholaganj.
Over the last decade, the illegal practice has claimed lives of many stone workers and ravaged the environment, experts say.
The stone lifters' rings are active near zero point sites too, said a number of locals and officials, while several crackdowns by the authorities even failed to dissuade the unscrupulous people from continuing with the illegal activity.
The border guards often faced untoward incidents, including locking into clashes with the accused stone liters, locals said.
Government officials said several weeks ago that stones worth Tk1.25 billion (Tk125 crore) had been looted from stone quarrying sites in Jaflong and other neighbouring areas in the last few months while locals claimed the stolen stones will be valued around Tk50 billion (Tk500 crore).
Stone extraction from quarries in the region had been kept suspended by the government following High Court orders but the scenario changed with the regime shift on August 5 last year.
However, the measure came as army contingents and students and locals started monitoring activities in the Jaflong and Bholaganj stone quarrying sites and made announcements through loudspeakers at the tourist sites to save stones.
Stone looting remained stopped for quite some time, but the illegal practice resumed later with organised gangs having political clout took over the scene again.
Looting was contained for a few weeks as two magistrates were deployed to lead temporary camps. But the scenario changed again after withdrawal of the camps.
Locals alleged that various organised groups started looting stones at Sadapathar, Jaflong and Bholaganj quarry sites at the frontier points after August 5.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Gowainghat upazila Saidul Islam said they had conducted mobile courts several times to stop stone looting in recent days, while cases were also filed against the looters.
But stone lifting could not be stopped totally, he said, adding rather looters swooped on the contractor who placed obstacles in their wrongdoing.
"We are sincerely trying to save stone stocks," he said, adding, coordination among the government agencies is very much needed to this end.
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