Farmers at Dandapal union in Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh are worried as their Paddy crop and variety of fruits including banana, mango, jackfruit, litchi and betel nut have been severely damaged due to toxic smoke from nearby brick kilns. The farmers have already informed the officials of the agriculture department several times about the issue but no steps were taken. Eventually, the aggrieved farmers were forced to carry out a human chain program in the brickfield area demanding to remove brick kilns from the middle of a vast tract of cropland. They complained that it was damaging crops every year. Read: Mild heat wave sweeps over four districts The paddy planted on 300 bighas of land near Dhanmondol area of the union have dried out and turned sterile under the impact of smoke emitted from Shaheen Bricks Fields, said local growers. The leaves of banana, mango, jackfruit, litchi and betel nut trees had turned brownish due to toxic smoke from the brick kilns, said farmers of the area. Not only that, the health of the common people in the area, including the students of the school and college in the vicinity of the brickfield is at risk.