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Pisciculturists suffer losses for removal of canal enclosures


Published : 26 Feb 2021 08:33 PM

A mobile court at Santhia of Pabna in a drive has removed nearly 50 enclosures set inside the I-3, S-19 Atrai canals. As a result, several hundred fishermen who used to earn their livelihood by releasing fish-fry and farming fish inside those enclosures have incurred a huge loss. 

Fishermen claimed those enclosures were removed without any prior notice though they took lease of the waterbody. However, common people have expressed their satisfaction at the removal of those enclosures. 

It is learnt, the mobile court of Water Development Board started to evacuate enclosures from I-e. s-19 Atrai canal near Kashinathpur bridge area of Santhia upazila from Thursday morning. Till noon of Thursday, the mobile court team removed nearly 50 enclosures from Kashinathpur bridge to Raghrampur bridge. On Wednesday the mobile court removed enclosures from Madhpur and Canale. As a result, fish worth several millions taka were released from inside those enclosures in open water. 

Billal of Raghurampur village informed he took lease of nearly five acres of water body from Water Development Board authority and has been rearing fish there. 

He also drew Taka 500,000 loan from  Krishi Unnayan Bank, Santhia upazila branch to cultivate fish. But, enclosures from his leased water body have been removed without any notice. As a result, he incurred at least Taka 2,000,000 loss. Aslam of Durgapur village under Sujanagar upazila informed, he incurred Taka 1,500,000 loss due to removal of enclosures from the canals. 

Khankder Mahmudul Hasan, Executive Magistrate of the Mobile Court informed, influential people living beside the canals had occupied the canals illegally and were farming fish there by erecting enclosures inside the canals and thus by blocking natural flow of water. Due to farming of fish and putting enclosures people living beside the canals were failing to take bath in the canals or using the water for their necessary purposes. Moveover, during the time of flood, it was had to release excess water from the canals. 

As a result, according to the decision of a meeting of district law and order, the enclosures from inside the canals are being removed. He further said, no person was leased the canal freshly and decision has been taken not to give lease of the waterbody in future.  

Rafiqul Alam Chowdhury, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board, Sub-divisional engineer Shahin Reza, Assistant Director of WDB Mosharraf Hossain, Deputy Chief Extension Officer Motahar Hossain and Assistant Revenue Officer Abdul Momin were present in the meeting, among others.