Banglabandha Land Port turns dusty for stone crushing

TENTULIA, PANCHAGAR, Jan 31: Banglabandha Land Port in the upazila of the district has turned dusty.
According to field sources, stone-crushing work is taking place across two kilometres  ranging from zero point to the camp of  Border Guard Bangladesh  (BGB). Several  thousands of labourers are working in different crushing sites from morning to evening.
Stone piles and crushing machines have braced the entire port area. Officers, tourists, traders and stone labourers are working at health risk.
India, Nepal and Bhutan are liked with this port. China is supposed to be connected in near future
The port remains busy with various activities like stone business and transportation of passengers. Thousands of labourers are working in crushing sites.
 At present, hundreds of foreign and local tourists are coming to Banglabandha to watch zero point and Kanchenjunga.
 The land port is remaining busy with 250 goods-laden trucks using this port for coming and going.
A visit found crushing machines along both sides of the road from Banglabandha BGB camp to the land port are breaking stones in two-kilometre stretch. More than 600 machines are crushing stones.
Crushing continues from dawn to dusk. Dusts are entering into noses and mouths of tourists, commuters, and local people.  
Dust and sand releasing from stone-crushing sites are causing serious sufferings in the locality. Children and elderly people are getting affected with various diseases like asthmas, allergy, pneumonia and respiratory problems.
Watering twice in a day, in the morning and afternoon, was initiated by Banglabamndha Union Chairman Kudrat-e-Khoda. But it became suspended after the last winter season as businessmen did not make any assistance.
While talking with this correspondent, a number of tourists said, they suffered most because of dusts They demanded a crushing zone there to check dust entering into the body.
When asked about the situation, port authorities declined to make comments.   
Revenue officials and assistant revenue officials of the port said, activities have turned difficult in the land port due to dust.
Residential Medical Officer of Upazila Health Complex Dr. Rokonuzzaman said, children and elderly people are increasingly getting affected by respiratory problems including pneumonia and asthma. Water needs to be sprayed in order to protect locals, he suggested. If not, children and elderly people will suffer from serious diseases, he added.
President of Banglabandha Load-Unload Labourer Association Idris Ali said, dust has made work environment risky for labourers.
'If we continue working at risk, we'll have to be bed-ridden after being affected with various diseases,' he added.
Kudrat-e-Khoda Milon said, 'We arranged water spraying in the morning and afternoon and continued it for about two years. Businessmen were supposed to bear the cost. But none of them made any assistance. Later, it was not possible to continue water spraying'.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sohag Chandra Saha said, 'We have  asked businessmen several times for watering.'
If they don't follow it, administrative measures will be taken, he added.
He further said, a proposal has been sent to the authorities concerned to make a crushing zone.