Authorities in Cumilla have ordered regular legal cases against illegal soil extraction from the Gomti River as widespread erosion, embankment risks and threats to thousands of farmers intensify.
Authorities in Bangladesh have ordered regular legal action to stop illegal soil extraction from the Gomti River in Cumilla after reports revealed widespread environmental damage and growing threats to agriculture.
The directive was issued on February 26 by Additional District Magistrate Mohammad Zafar Sadiq Chowdhury, instructing the Bangladesh Water Development Board to file cases regularly against those involved in cutting soil from the river’s char areas. Copies of the order have been sent to all Upazila Nirbahi Officers and officers-in-charge of police stations across the district to strengthen enforcement.
The decision came a day after a report highlighted how soil was being removed from the river’s char lands without following regulations, while trees were also being cleared in the process. Char lands, or river islands formed by sediment deposits, are widely used for seasonal farming in Bangladesh and are considered important for local food production and livelihoods.
Officials said relying only on mobile court operations has not been effective enough as enforcement drives often find transport workers or vehicles carrying soil but fail to identify the main operators behind the illegal trade.
“We have asked the Water Development Board to file regular cases to protect the river after the report was published,” said the additional district magistrate. “During mobile court drives usually only the workers or vehicles are found while the main traders remain out of reach.”
Field observations reported extensive soil extraction across multiple char areas where large pits have been created. Local farmers say the activity is damaging fertile land and threatening crop production. The soil cutting has been reported in more than a hundred locations including Tikkar Bridge, Shawalpur, Golabari, Samarchar, Ratnabati, Banashua and Palapara.
Heavy trucks and tractors used to transport the soil are also causing erosion along the town protection embankment raising concerns about infrastructure safety and flood risks in the area.
According to officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension in Cumilla nearly 59,000 farmers depend on vegetable cultivation on the char lands of the river. Produce from these areas supplies local markets in Cumilla and is also distributed to other districts across the country. However ongoing soil extraction is significantly disrupting farming activities.
Following the directive the executive engineer of the Water Development Board in Cumilla Mohammad Rashed Shahriar said legal action would continue against anyone found cutting soil within the board’s jurisdiction.
District Commissioner Mu. Reza Hasan said protecting the river requires coordinated action among government agencies, environmental authorities, law enforcement and community leaders. He emphasized that safeguarding the Gomti River is a shared responsibility.
Illegal sand and soil extraction has become an increasing concern in many river systems across Bangladesh contributing to erosion, ecological damage and risks to agriculture and flood protection infrastructure. Environmental observers warn that without strict enforcement continued soil removal could further harm fragile river ecosystems and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who depend on the fertile char lands along the river.
