As floods wreak havoc, Chalanbeel gets draped in beauty
The flood has brought along destruction in its wake. But for Chalanbeel, the flood has brought along a semblance of destructive beauty, resulting in flocks of tourists crowding the area.
The entire beel is an endless ocean of water with trees jutting out here and there, breaking the monotony.
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Some people are seen wearing facemasks, but most visitors were seen carrying the mask in their pockets or leave it hanging from their ears.
The beauty attracts people from different areas. For a moment in time, the havoc of the flood and the ongoing pandemic seems to be forgotten.
"I have visited Cox's Bazar and Kuakata several times, but when I come to see a water-filled Chalanbeel, it's completely different. Here, even nature tastes different," Farhana Ila, an employee of a private firm, also a resident of Nurpur village in Pabna, said when visiting Bausha bridge on the beel on Friday.
Hundreds of people could be seen on the bridge which falls on the Chatmohar-Mannan-Nagar highway in Pabna's Chatmohar upazila on Friday. Some were hiring boats, while others were busy taking photographs.
The entire highway in the middle of Chalanbeel has been wearing a festive look for the last few weeks.
"Now that the Chalanbeel has filled up with water, it gets a beautiful look that has attracted nature lovers from different areas of the district and adjoining areas. The month of monsoon is when the beel's natural beauty comes to life and brings a huge opportunity for increased tourism," Md Mizanur Rahman, convener of Boral Rokhha Andolon, a Chalanbeel movement organisation, told The Daily Star.
The splendor can be seen at Chatmohar-Mannan Nagar road, Dilpashra of Vangura upazila, Haatgram of Vangura upazila and Gurudaspur in Natore district, among 25 to 30 such spots.
The vista, however, comes with this allure of impermanence.
"This is temporary tourism, because the Chalanbeel will lose its beauty within the next few months when the water level recedes," Mizanur said.
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