THE Halda River Protection Committee has held some local industrial units responsible for the massive pollution in the river that led to the death of at least 18 species of fish very recently. The factories set up in the area stretching from Kulgao to Oxygen were releasing waste into the river through Bamonshahi canal, Hathazari; Picking Power Plant through Chankhali canal and Asian Paper Mills through Madari canal. Besides, some poultry farms built along the river were contributing to the pollution. If the government fails to protect the Halda, the lone source of natural carp breeding in South Asia, from pollution, it would destroy the fishing resources.
In fact, the Halda never experienced such a massive pollution before. Fish of at least 18 species died in the river on June 21 due to the release of industrial waste. The water sample of the Halda found that the amount of dissolved oxygen now ranges from 0.21 to 1.00 milliliters against the normal range of 5 milliliters. The 98-kilometer long river is increasingly becoming polluted for the release of factory residues from both sides, in addition to siltation, the impact of tobacco farming and sand extraction. The Water Development Board and Local Government Engineering Department have set up dams and rubber dams on the tributaries of Halda; which brought a temporary boon for farmers but eventually endangered the river and its rare fish species. The development projects such as dams and dikes have backfired when it came to sustain the fish species. Halda is a valuable reservoir for fish breeding and it can’t be disturbed by human activities. We want to bring the matter to the notice of the government that the tranquil river has hardly any real substitute as fish farmers take a collection of carp eggs and other fish fries of as many species from this source. Any disturbance to it will be irreparable.
The government is not showing efficiency anywhere still it is too happy to claim successes everywhere. The truth is that, there is no authority to save the Halda river from massive pollution for saving the big fish resources.
