Gravel Resource Evaluation and Environmental Implications in the Patgram Area, Lalmonirhat District, Northwest Bangladesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
Teesta Fan, Patgram Upazila, Gravel extraction, Fluvial geomorphology, Environmental impact, Sustainable resource management, Lalmonirhat, BangladeshAbstract
This study examines gravel resources and their environmental implications in Patgram Upazila, Lalmonirhat District, located within the Teesta alluvial fan system. Field surveys along approximately 55 km of the Teesta, Dharla, and Saniazan riverbanks reveal gravelly sand and coarse fluvial deposits derived from Himalayan source terrains, reflecting high-energy depositional conditions. Gravel extraction is an important local economic activity; however, it is largely unregulated. Uncontrolled removal has resulted in riverbank erosion, channel modification, lowering of riverbeds and water tables, loss of aquatic habitats, and degradation of adjacent agricultural lands. The natural rate of sediment replenishment is insufficient to offset ongoing extraction. The study recommends sediment budget-based extraction limits, environmental impact assessments, protected buffer zones, and community-based monitoring to ensure sustainable resource management.
References
Baki, A. B. M., and Gan, T. Y. (2012). Riverbank migration and erosion hazards in the Jamuna River of Bangladesh. Natural Hazards, 61(3), 1113–1128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2012.03.016
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