Water, grass all over the field : Fish farming in college playground i; sports activities stopped for long time in Sarishabari
Mostaq Ahmed Monir, Sarishabari (Jamalpur)
Where a drop of rain should have filled the streets with the chatter of teenagers, today there is only water, algae and grass. The only playground of Jamalpur's traditional Sarishabari College is now a victim of waterlogging and has turned into a permanent reservoir. With no way to drain it, some locals have now turned this water, which has been stagnant for months, into a fish farm—which was once a lively campus bustling with students.
On the spot, it is seen that the traditional Sarishabari College was established in 1967. Currently, about 3,500 students are studying in the college at the higher secondary and undergraduate levels. But the only playground of the college is quite low from the surrounding main road and gets flooded with a little rain. Due to the stagnation of rainwater most of the year, large weeds, moss and algae have grown in the entire field. Let alone sports, there is no way to even walk past the field. Due to the accumulation of water in the playground for a long time, the health of teachers, students and locals is at constant risk as the nuisance of mosquitoes, insects and snakes has increased alarmingly.
Sarishabari College students Ahsan Habib, Manjurul Islam, Nahida Yasmin, Tahira Akhter and several others expressed their disappointment and said, "As the field is waterlogged all year round, let alone sports, there is no way to even get to the field. The only place for our physical and mental development is being destroyed due to negligence. Sports are being hampered due to the field being waterlogged for a long time. We strongly demand that the ground be filled up quickly and made usable."
In this regard, Amimul Ehsan Shaheen, acting principal of Sarishabari College, said that the issue of waterlogging in the field has already been discussed with the local MP several times. He assured that he will take initiatives to raise the field, fill it with soil and build a modern drainage system to drain the water to solve the problem seriously.
Locals demand that for a permanent and sustainable solution, soil filling, leveling, and effective drainage systems should be urgently implemented. Only then will the students of this traditional college and the students of various nearby educational institutions regain their vitality and sports environment.
