Shudir Baran Mazi

My home is on the banks of the Meghna. I grew up fighting and fighting with the river since childhood. So I have developed a bond with the river. In other words, health is protected in the river, nutrition is protected in the river. Those of us who grew up on the banks of the river know how the river beats. How the waves of the river call for survival during the monsoon, and how the river itself cries silently in the winter. But now? It is as if the river is no longer a river, as if it is just a dying memory. Two days ago, I spoke to a fisherman on the bank of the river. I asked him, why is there no happiness in the river like before? How can I live, there is no fish in the river, no water, the riverbed has become full, there are numerous submarines, the depth of the river has decreased, river pollution, noise pollution have increased at a huge rate, and then there is the killing of Hilsa during the breeding season and the destruction of Jatka during the breeding season due to bribery of fisheries, police, naval police, and coast guard officials. Brother, this does not end here. How can you find happiness? At one time, the district officials used to catch Hilsa in the river only with Chandi and Goldi nets. And now, many types of illegal current nets are being used to catch Hilsa and other fish in the river, such as China Chai, Mehndi nets, Gachi/nets/pole nets, small current nets for catching Jatka, fishing with poison, etc. Almost 90 percent of our rivers are in ICU. I am stunned to hear the words of the jailer, I feel very guilty.

If a fisherman can think like this, why can't we, an educated society, think like this? This river is not just a watercourse, it is inextricably linked to our lives. River means life, river means blood stream. The use of these illegal nets in the river is a threat not only to Hilsa, but also to all freshwater fish, a threat to our health, reproduction and our economy. The river in which our livelihood, culture, dynamic economy is, but that river is today a death marcher. River means agriculture, river means fisheries, river means environment, river means culture. This river once saved millions of people. But today, that river is drying up due to neglect, greed and corruption.

If we cannot protect the mother hilsa during the breeding season, then hilsa will no longer be found in the river, hilsa will be found in museums. We do not want to see our hilsa in museums. Due to our excessive greed, river navigability crisis, noise pollution, river pollution, and river water pollution, the hilsa crisis has reached an extreme level today. There are many submerged reefs in the rivers that are the pastures and havens of hilsa, which are disrupting the natural flow of the river, resulting in a decrease in hilsa production. The level of erosion is increasing on both banks of the river.

River water pollution has reached an extreme level today. The water of Chandpur, Haimchar, Lahmipur, Shariatpur rivers is filled with stench. And if this continues, hilsa, a part of our national fish, heritage and culture, will also be on the list of endangered fish. The increase in noise pollution in the river is having a negative impact on hilsa production and at the same time the flow of hilsa in the river has decreased. hilsa is a very fast fish. They move in groups in the sea and rivers. They run backward at twice the speed they go forward and when they encounter obstacles in their path, they run back. Therefore, due to submerged chars and floating chars, the production of hilsa in the river is decreasing, while in Myanmar, the production of hilsa is increasing. River pollution, noise pollution and river encroachment are also major obstacles to the increase in the production of hilsa and other freshwater fish. In order to increase the production of hilsa and other freshwater fish, the honorable authorities must prevent river pollution and keep the river free from encroachment. Even though nets are cast in the river day and night, the desired hilsa is not seen.

Due to the lack of hilsa, the debt burden of fishermen is increasing. There is still time and opportunity to overcome this crisis. Much is within our power. Our rivers are almost dead today. Most of the rivers are under the control of encroachments. River pollution has turned the rivers into swamps. And our favorite hilsa fish is now beyond our reach. Although fishing is prohibited during the breeding season, Meghna, Padma and Tetulia go into the possession of the Ganges at this time. Not only the fishermen are being harmed by the killing of mother hilsa, but the country's economy is also being harmed. Hilsa has both nutritional value and economic importance. Two percent of the country's population earns a living through hilsa and plays an important role in the national economy. Hilsa is called the silver gold of our country. To increase the production of hilsa, the submerged chars and floating chars that have arisen in the river must be excavated as soon as possible. This will not only increase hilsa production but also prevent river erosion.

 It is even more horrifying when we see that a class of people have created an empire of corruption centered around the river. Rivers are not just water, rivers mean life. There is no dredging, no regular supervision, no pollution control system. In the name of development, unplanned excavations are going on, the course of the river is being changed, and river banks are being occupied. On the one hand, money is being embezzled in the name of river excavation, and on the other hand, fish are being shamelessly exterminated. Despite the ban on the breeding season of hilsa, fishing is going on freely, right in front of the eyes of the administration. The law is not enforced due to some influential local people, people under the political umbrella, and some bribe-taking officials. Fishing is done using current nets, Chinese nets, henna nets, poison, and even electricity, none of which is legally legal.

These nets are not only destroying jatka, but all the small fish and biodiversity in the river. Starting from egg-bearing hilsa, the reproduction of other species of fish is also being hindered. Can't we restore the river to its old form? Can't we bring a new dawn to the eyes of these fishermen? To protect the river, it is not only the responsibility of the administration, it is the responsibility of all of us. Let the love we have for the river be the tool of change. Children must be taught that the river is not just about fish, the river is our future. The younger generation must be involved in the movement to protect the river. Local administration must be held accountable. The import, production and sale of illegal nets must be stopped by any means, and strict measures must be taken to protect the Jatka. This is not just the suffering of one fisherman, this is the suffering of all of us, this is the failure of our state, our society. This river that is dying means that our future is also heading towards destruction.

Not only that, fisheries officers, police, naval police, coast guard — whoever gets the opportunity, earns a two-pence. But the most helpless are the fishermen, whose livelihood is on the verge of being closed today. If this continues, we will lose the culture of the river, we will lose our lives, we will lose our future. So now is the time — the River Protection Act must be strictly implemented. The state must adopt a far-reaching plan to protect the river and produce freshwater fish including hilsa and implement a zero tolerance policy. Transparency must be brought to riverbed excavation projects. A zero tolerance policy must be adopted against illegal nets and fishing methods. Action must be taken against corrupt fisheries officers. Awareness programs must be taken with the people on the banks of the river, especially the fishermen. We must remember — if the river survives, life will survive, if the river dies, we all die. If we can protect the river and the fish of the river, it will be possible to provide 15 to 20 percent of our national budget from it.

The writer is teacher, Haimchar Government College Haimchar, Chandpur.