Brick kilns set up on agricultural lands at two villages in sadar upazila of the district are causing extensive damage to paddy.Excessive heat from the brickfields have damaged paddy on more than 150 acres of land at the two villages, said farmers’ sources.
A brick kiln at Battola village in Debipur union, 20 kilometers off the town, has damaged paddy on more than 100 acres of land around it.
Incensed by the matter, several hundred affected farmers staged demonstration and held rally in the district headquarters on Tuesday
demanding compensation for the loss they suffered and submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner (DC) demanding immediate measures to shut the brick kilns.
At Kajipara village under sadar upazila, paddy on about 50 acres of land was burnt totally due to excessive heat from four brick kilns set up on cropland.
Confirming the news, Belayet Hossain, deputy assistant director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, Thakurgaon, said they were making the list of the farmers affected by the four brick kilns.
SMA Moin, one of the owners of the four brick kilns and mayor of Thakurgaon municipality, claimed his brick kiln is totally an environment friendly one and assured of giving due compensation to the affected farmers if it is found responsible for the damage through
proper investigation. Abu Saleh, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of sadar upazila, has already visited the damaged croplands.
(UNB, Thakurgaon)
