Staff Reporter :
Various species of fish started dying in the last few days after the Hakaluki haor became polluted due to ammonia gas produced by the rotten paddy submerged by the recent flash flood.
Hundreds of thousands of dead fishes including Katla, Kalibaus, Boal, Rui, Ghagot, Pabda Chela, Dhela and Chapila were spotted floating in the Hakaluki haor waters spreading foul odour all around the area.
As the incessant rain and onrush of waters from the upstream destroyed and submerged paddies on over 1.50 lakh hectares of lands there, the rotten paddies are now producing ammonia gas in the haor.
Hakaluki haor is an important source of fish resources for the country.
It consists of Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilla under Moulovibazar district and Fenchuganj and Gopalganj upazillas under Sylhet district. Kalibaus, Boal, Rui, Ghagot, Pabda and Chapila are the main fish species found in the haor.
According to the Fisheries Department and locals, the death of fishes is now a double blow to the aggrieved farmers who have already lost their paddies.
“It is a fresh disaster for us as our paddy fields have been washed away by the flash flood. We had thought we would lead our livelihood by catching fishes. But all of our dreams have faded away. We wonder how and in what way we will live,”a farmer said in an emotion-chocked voice.
Fisheries Department officials said the fishes are dying due to poisoning caused by the rotten paddies, which are producing ammonia gas.
“As the paddies remain submerged for the last 14 days, these are now being rotten, leaving the haor waters polluted. We are spreading medicine in the waters to protect the fishes,” said Wahidul Arbar, an official of Jogannatpur upazila Fisheries Department.
He said medicines will also be spread in other haors.
“Both the half ripe rice and fish are now getting rotten,” he said.
Siddiqur Rahman, General Secretary, Jogannatpur Upazila Haor Unnyan Parishad, said the locals living in the haor area are now affected by the bad odour stemming from such pollution.
“Apart from depending on boro paddies, now completely ruined, thousands of people of the area depend on catching fishes in the Hakaluki haor. But they’re in a loss now, as their last hope has been dashed,” he said.
Arosh Miah, Chairman, Cilaura Holdipur union, said thousands of framers have already been ruined, the latest disaster will be a nail in the coffin.
He said the beels in Hakaluki haor provide winter shelter for the mother fisheries.
In early monsoon, these mother fisheries produce millions of fries for the entire downstream fishing communities, he said.
“But when the time has come to release eggs, all fishes including mother ones have started dying,” Arosh said, fearing a serious scarcity of fishes in the coming days because of the ruination of these fishes.
Besides, he said, the haor is also the home of numerous animals and birds and a large variety of flora and fauna.
