Restoring Chalan Beel
Chalan Beel, the largest water body involving four districts -Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj and Naogaon- and connected by 12 rivers, is now endangered. People have encroached and built up illegal embankments causing the wetland to shrink in size. Farmers, on the other hand, make injudicious use of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilisers which is seriously posing threat to biodiversity of the region. According to a recent report of this paper, several of the rivers and their tributaries such as Atrai, Gur, Boral, Mara Boral, etc. that connect the whole Chalan Beel area have lost their heritages because of unplanned infrastructure.
It is needless to mention here many of the animal species including the aquatic ones have already gone extinct. Many are on the verge of extinction. Like other places this Chalan Beel has also lost its biodiversity. The water body is undoubtedly a great source of fish in the country. Despite the fact that Bangladesh occupies the fourth position in the world in fish production, it still needs to augment its fish production, because it is way behind in fishs supply and demand.
In fact, Chalan Beels is diversely important for us, in agriculture, pisciculture as well as in protection of environmental balance. That is why when scientists and experts suggest that a long-term plan is now a crying need for the restoration of the Chalan Beel, they point out what the relevant policy makers ought to do, and now, before the wetland is further endangered.
We must remember that it is due to sheer neglect the four rivers of Dhaka --- Buriganga, Shatalakhya, Turag and Balu --- crucial for life in Dhaka, lost their naturalness and have become unfit for aquatic lives including fish. Had these rivers been in their natural state, surely life in Dhaka would have been environmentally rewarding. The degradation of these rivers has come to such a pass that it has now become well nigh impossible to bring them back to their normal state.
True, Chalan Beel area is not an industrial zone, but if left uncared for a long time, this wetland may also become a source of lament for us. The river Halda has been declared sanctuary for fish and that is why it is still able to remain as a source for our fish. If a similar strong measure is taken, existing fish population of Chalan Beel could be protected. In fact, it can be used as a great source of cultured fish production besides protecting its indigenous fish varieties. For this, we have to restore the wetland recovering the navigability of the connecting rivers first.
