Named heritage, yet ravaged

An organised syndicate of sand and earth lifters has been wreaking havoc on the Halda river at the upstream in Fatikchhari upazila while the local administration turned a blind eye to the menace.

Halda, the lone natural breeding ground of carp-like fish in South Asia, was declared as Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage on December 22 last year.

The government banned twelve types of activities in the river -- including fishing, sand lifting, water withdrawal, plying of mechanised boats, construction of dams, and dumping of any industrial or domestic waste.

Yet the syndicate, allegedly run by the son of the local union parishad member, keeps extracting sand and earth from the river at dozens of places in Paindong, Narayanhat, Suyabil, Sundarpur and Bhujpur unions, and in Nazirarhat municipality.

Some key spots affected along the river include Pach Pukuria, Jugini Ghata, Fokira Chan, Akkulia, Azimpur Ghat, Kumbar Para, Kuyarpara, Hapania, and Pilkhana.

A government project by the Water Development Board was also lifting sand from the riverbank, until intervention put a stop to it, said a local land official. The local WDB office, however, claimed they were taking sand from outside the river area.

Rampant sand lifting from the riverbed and cutting of the riverbank for earth could alarmingly "change the oxbow [a U-shaped bend] of the river", said a Halda expert.

In a visit to the area in Bhujpur union earlier this month, this correspondent came across dozens of dumper trucks carrying sand and earth from these sites to different areas of Fatikchhari.

One of the drivers, who did not give his name, told The Daily Star he was taking the truck loaded with sand for road construction. The driver refused to give any further details.

A resident of Khoiyachhora village under the union said this has been going on for months.

"The son of Bhujpur Union Parishad Ibrahim Talukdar chairman is behind all this. Ibrahim's son Masud Alam is a Jubo League leader," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Some other locals echoed the same. 

The Daily Star learnt that Masud was a member of the now suspended convening committee of Bhujpur union Jubo League. His father is the president of the Bhujpur unit of Awami League.

Masud Alam, denied the allegation, saying he was not involved in sand and earth lifting from Halda nor has any business with it.

"I just buy sand from the contractor for our building construction. I have a few brick fields. Sometimes, customers ask me for sand when they come to buy bricks at my field, I then supply them with sand after buying it from the contractor," he said.

His father Ibrahim Talukdar said the allegation against his son is politically motivated. "My son is in no way involved in sand lifting and riverbank cutting," he said.

Former chairman of Bhujpur union Abdul Hamid told The Daily Star this lifting of sand and earth has been going on for months, as the syndicate did not face any obstruction from any authorities.

The unbridled damage of the riverbank and riverbed endangered a nearby rubber dam -- a large crater has been created downstream from the dam, thanks to the sand lifting, he added.

"The sand and earth are supplied for various construction works. This is happening in broad daylight."

Contacted, Professor Dr Manzoorul Kibria, eminent Halda researcher, told The Daily Star that the river has been experiencing such an onslaught at a time when government declared Halda River Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage.

"The way the riverbank and riverbed are being damaged for sand, it will change the shape of the oxbow of the river, and the current that comes with torrential rain will become weak. Brood fish production will be hampered due to the weak current during the spawning season," he said.

Zissan Bin Mazed, assistant commissioner (land) of Fatikchhari upazila, told The Daily Star that the Water Development Board was cutting the riverbank for a project in the Bhujpur rubber dam area along the Halda river. It stopped after the administration intervened.

"We also stopped sand lifting and riverbank cutting at other spots including Paindong and Narayanhat. We kept it under surveillance so that no one can damage the river further."

Executive engineer of the WDB in Chattogram Toyon Kumar Tripura, however, claimed they were collecting sand and earth from outside the river area.

"A section of unscrupulous people in the name of building embankments are cutting the riverbank and lifting sand. With the help from a mobile court, we sentenced a man for it to one month in jail," he added.

Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram district administration Mohammad Mominur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday that Halda has always been high on their agenda.

"We will take action no matter how powerful the miscreants are."

"As Halda has been declared Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage, we will remain uncompromised in saving the unique waterbody," he added.