Pabna dist admin leasing out rivers for fish farming
In a move that violates the law, the Pabna district administration has decided to lease out 31 sections of 10 rivers for fish farming. These areas are being labelled as "jalmahal" or enclosed government water bodies.
On January 14, the administration issued a circular inviting applications from fishermen, offering leases for 63 waterbodies across nine upazilas in the district.
The Daily Star has obtained a copy of the notice that mentions that these waterbodies are to be leased out for a period of three years.
A review of the notice revealed that at least 31 of the 63 listed waterbodies are, in fact, sections of various rivers, including the Ichamoti, Padma lagoon, Chandraboti, Chiknai, Atrai, Boral, Gumani, Gohala, Kageshwari, and Ruknai.
Among these, the Boral, one of the major rivers of Chalanbeel, which is already under threat from land grabbing, could go extinct if it is now leased out for fish farming, according to locals.
The 31 river points up for lease are spread across seven upazilas: Sadar, Atghoria, Ishwardi, Bhangura, Faridpur, Bera, and Santhia, according to the circular signed by Md Asaduzzaman, deputy commissioner and president of Jalmahal Management Committee in Pabna.
As per the Jalmahal Management Policy - 2009, authorities are forbidden to lease out any open water body like a river.
The district administration's decision to lease out river points has sparked outrage from local residents and environmental activists.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of the Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela), said, "Government policy dictates unrestricted access to rivers for fishing communities, but reports of leased stretches suggest non-compliance."
Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Pabna's Chatmohor upazila and an activist of the Boral river protection movement, said, "Existing rules safeguard rivers as open water sources, preventing any individual or organisation from hindering their flow or restricting access for fishing.
"It's disheartening to see influential people undermine our collective efforts to protect rivers by seeking to control them through leases."
"We strongly condemn the district administration's leasing of rivers. We will be filing an official complaint to challenge this action and uphold legal mandates."
Abdul Hamid Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) Pabna unit, said, "While a jalmahal may be leased, manipulating the system to occupy stretches of rivers under the guise of leases, often with administrative support, raises serious concerns about powerful individuals exploiting public resources."
He demanded that the district administration reverse its decision.
Contacted, Farista Karim, assistant commissioner (RDC) and member secretary of the Jalmahal Management Committee in Pabna, said, "This list of 63 waterbodies that are leased predates our current administration. We are only referencing existing records for the management of these resources."
Comments