To increase the production of fish in the Chalan Beel, four sanctuaries were dug at a cost of taka two million under Singra upazila during the last decade. But, due to rampant fishing and lack of care by the concerned authorities, these protected sanctuaries are failing to achieve the target.
Singra Upazila Fisheries Office sources informed, that increasing the production of fish during the dry season, Director of Rajshahi Divisional Fisheries office took the initiative to excavate the beel at Satpukhuria, Solakura, Solagari and Dahiar beel in 2009-‘10 at a cost of taka two million. Later, during the 2018-'19, the sanctuaries were re-excavated with the help of the local fishermen. After visiting the re-excavated sites recently, this correspondent noticed that there was not enough water in those sanctuaries for fish. Many influential villagers catch fish in these sanctuaries by allegedly convincing the fisheries officers or in the early morning or at night by evading the vigilance of the concerned officials and workers.
Upazila Fisheries Officer of Singra Upazila in this connection said, that fishes take shelter in these protected sanctuaries during the dry season and then spread elsewhere out during the monsoon. So, the overall availability of fish increases day by day at Chalan Beel. However, the purpose of excavation of the sanctuaries is not being served because of the actions of some influential people living in villages adjacent to the sanctuaries.
Ibrahim Hossain, Fisherman of Dahia village at Singra upazila said, though these places are sanctuaries, many corrupt officers of the fisheries office and some powerful men in villages catch fish in these places by defying the order of the government.
Ibrahim Hossain also said, that for these reasons, many kinds of big and small species of fishes are becoming extinct from this beel. As a result, Chalan Beel might face an extreme scarcity of fish very soon.
Fisheries officer at Singra said, those recently dug water –bodies are not sanctuaries for fish in the true sense. Those were dug to retain the water of Chalanbeen throughout the year so that various local fish species of the beel can be saved from being extinct. He further mentioned, that the Project Director of the Divisional Fisheries Office in Rajshahi had dug those sanctuaries and did not direct them to save or protect those as sanctuaries.