APR 24 (V7N) - The upazila administration has launched a drive in Ukhia Upazila of Cox's Bazar on charges of illegal cutting of hills and extraction of sand from canals. The drive was conducted in the open area of ​​Mochar in Palangkhali Union of the upazila on Thursday (April 23).

A mobile court operation led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rifat Asma found evidence of deforestation by cutting down mountains and extracting sand from canals using dredgers. At that time, a person named Saiful Islam Bhutto (42) was fined Tk 350,000 under the Sand and Soil Management Act, 2010. At the same time, a dredger machine and some spades used for illegal purposes were seized.

Assistant Conservator of Forests of the Forest Department Shahinur Islam, members of law enforcement agencies and concerned officials of the Land Office and Forest Department were present in the operation.

According to the upazila administration, a large part of the forest land about one kilometer away from the open bit office of Mocha has been damaged due to hill cutting. The assistant forest officer has been ordered to investigate the incident quickly and submit a report. In addition, instructions have been given to intensify the campaign against those involved in hill cutting and illegal soil extraction. The upazila administration said that the campaign against such environmentally destructive activities will continue and the cooperation of the locals has been sought in this regard.

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