Big and small rivers connected to the Meghna river in Ghazaria upazila of Munshiganj are full of forbidden bushes. Fishermen and locals said that due to these bushes, obstacles are being created in the movement of boats.
Due to the lack of monitoring by the administration, the amount of prohibited bushes in the river is increasing day by day. Fishermen say that the local influencers are behind it.
Fishermen said that the water flow of the river is being obstructed by creating a thicket of bamboo and tree branches in the river. In the bushes, the dominants are killing small fish including egg-bearing fish. In this way the river and biodiversity are being damaged. Due to the lack of supervision by the administration, seasonal fish traders are hunting fish in this illegal way throughout the year.
On the surface, it was seen that there are numerous bushes in Bara Raipara of Meghna River, Mudarkandi, Ahariya, Basurchar of Guagachia area, Kadamtali, Paundrachak Baushia, Ismanir Char, Goalgaon, Fuldi River and Meghna tributaries. On the other hand, the same form is found in the tributaries of the Meghna near Vitikandi, Nayakandi, Manairkandi villages.
It can be seen in these areas, bamboo and tree branches are thrown in the river and bushes are made by surrounding the water with kachuripana rope. Various types of small and large fishes, egg-bearing shrimps and juvenile fish take shelter in these bushes. After a few days, seasonal fishermen surrounded the bush with bamboo strips and large fishing nets. Fish sheltering in the bushes come up in these small perforated nets. From small fry to large fish, even other aquatic animals are caught in the net.
It is known that putting bushes in the river is officially prohibited. But every year a syndicate builds bushes across the river. Due to these bushes, boat traffic is often stopped. Many times, the river’s turbidity rises to the bill. Later, during the agricultural season, the farmers faced difficulties in growing crops due to the removal of weeds from the land.
Several residents of the river bank said that the influential people of the area have built numerous fish groves in the area. Fish worth five to ten lakh rupees can be obtained from one bush. Hence, local influencers are greedy for the creation of bushes.
Alleging that boats and trawlers cannot move because of the bushes, local people said that the kachuripana used in the bushes is dumped in the farmlands across the river during the dry season. It disrupts agriculture.
It is said that 5-6 lakh rupees are spent to make each bush. Another bush fetches fish worth 10-12 lakh rupees. Due to this thicket of dominants, real fishermen cannot catch fish in the river. Residents have become hostages. The locals demanded that these bushes be removed from the river to protect the biodiversity and fish of the river.
Ghazaria Upazila Fisheries Officer Iqbal Hossain said that every year various communities are putting bushes in the river in defiance of the government’s ban. A joint initiative is needed to enforce the government’s law to stop illegal bushfires.
The fisheries officer said that nothing can be done to clear the prohibited bushes due to the shortage of manpower in the upazila fisheries department.
(Dhakatimes/November 1/MOA)
Source: www.dhakatimes24.com
