Mohammed Jayed, Lohagara Correspondent :
Just green and green it is all around. It’s like a green fair. On the east side is flat land and on the other three sides are green hills. Chambi Lake can be seen across the red earth’s high and low hills and winding roads.
Chambi Lake in Chuntir of Lohagara upazila of Chittagong is a potential tourist destination. Chambi Rubber Dam has been constructed on the Chambi canal in Joynagar of Pantrisha village of Chunti Union. And a tourist area is developing around this rubber dam. The ChuntiChambi Rubber Dam is transforming agriculture and tourism in the area.
It is learned that in 1997, Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, former chairman of the then Chunti Union Parishad, took initiative to build a rubber dam on the Chambi canal in Joynagar area of Pantrishar of Chunti union and to create a tourist area around the rubber dam. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s late military secretary Major General Mia. Zainul Abedin Birbikram, PSC initiated the implementation of Rubber Dam under LGED’s Participatory Small Scale Water Resources Sector Project.
At that time it was included in 10 rubber dam projects of the country. The implementation of the dam started in 2015. Chambi Canal Water Management Cooperative Society was formed with the farmers of the area. It is constructed with a 25 meter long rubber dam dam in the north-south under LGED’s participatory small scale water resources sector project. It was inaugurated on January 20, 2016.
After the inauguration, the water stored in the dam created opportunities for cultivation in many lands of Pantrisha, Faranga and Narishchar. Basically it is an irrigation project. The Chambi Canal Management Cooperative Society supervises the agriculture, fisheries and tourism spots of the rubber dam and LGED monitors as per the instructions of the LGED project.
The tourist spot of this rubber dam project has 9 employees. About 500 acres of ChuntiPantrisha, Faranga and Narishchar are cultivated every year with the water stored in the rubber dam. More than 500 acres of lake water (up to about 2 km upstream) is used for fish farming.
On the one hand, the accumulated water of the rubber dam has created an attractive Chambi Lake upstream. The tourist area has developed on the land. According to the relevant sources, from September 2020 to mid-October 2021, many visitors including one thousand foreign tourists came here. The number of visitors has been increasing since the inauguration.
It has been seen on the spot that a beautiful foot bridge has been built over the embankment of the rubber dam. The accumulated water of the rubber dam has created an attractive Chambi Lake upstream. The accumulated water of the lake extends up to about 2 km upstream. The lake has been brought under the fisheries project. The plain on the east, and Chambi Lake on the other, surrounded by lush green hills.
Not far from Chambi Lake is the Elephant Breeding Center. There are three artificial water fountains, five different bird sculptures, five animal sculptures, one live shy monkey, three common monkeys are kept in cages, one speedboat, 2 paddle boats, 1 life boat, 3 boats.
In addition, a family train has recently been added at a cost of Rs 9 lakh, and a ‘just us’ restaurant has been launched for tourists. Maya Island is in the middle of the lake. Where to go Drumvela. Three roundabouts on the hillside; From where one can enjoy the natural beauty of the whole mountain in an instant.
Apart from this, resorts are being built for the leisure of tourists. The lake has beautiful picnic spots. This winter, Chambi Lake is appealing to tourists. Nature forces those who have come to this lake once to come again and again.
Mahabubur Rahman Chowdhury, President of the Chambi Canal Water Management Cooperative Society, said the Chambi Rubber Dam would lead to massive development in agriculture, fisheries and tourism. It is possible to cultivate 500 hectares of land every year with the water stored in the rubber dam.
Lohagara Upazila Executive Officer. Ahsan Habib Jitu said that ChuntiPantrisha Rubber Dam project is a potential tourist destination and it is contributing to agriculture and fisheries sector.
Local MP Professor. He said the upazila administration would take steps to beautify it with the help of Abu Reza Muhammad NezamuddinNadvi and concerned authorities.
