Move to set up stone crushers protested

Environmentalists and citizen groups yesterday formed a human chain at Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar, protesting setting up of stone crushing machines in haors and wetlands in the district's Jaintapur upazila.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' Association (Bela) and Water Keepers Bangladesh formed the human chain participated by rights activists, environmentalists and locals.

The government has recently planned to set up stone crushing machines in four wetlands--Dibi Haor, Kendri Beel, Harafkata Beel and Yambeel in the upazila.

Expressing grave concern over the move, protesters said a huge pile of stones and debris would shortly fill the lands, posing threats to ecology and biodiversity.

Nazrul Islam, an inhabitant in the area, said he along with others protested filling of the lands, but the authorities concerned kept doing so, disregarding dire environmental consequences.

Another resident, Afroz Mia, said such actions would take their toll on the environment, destroying natural beauty in the locality.

Bela Sylhet Division Coordinator Advocate Shah Shaheda Akhter said, "The move will resolve a problem, but create another."

Asked, Jaintapur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Khaledur Rahman said the lands were found to be suitable for setting up such machines, adding that a suitability test was carried out.

Some 1,500 stone crushing machines are currently operating in the district.