Sylhet Bureau :
The greenish waters of the Tangaur Haor in Sunamganj are covered with all sorts of plastic waste, including disposable plates and bottles, as far as the eye can see.
Locals and environmentalists say visitors who took a tour of the wetlands after Eid-ul-Azha are responsible for such a state of the place teeming with life.
Tahirpur Upazila administration decided to launch a mobile court to curb activities that could harm the biodiversity of the wetlands.
Tanguar Haor is the country’s second Ramsar site, designated to be of international importance under the 1971 Convention on Wetlands.
The devastating floods left Sunamganj inundated this year, but that has not stopped tourists from making a trip to the location on the Eid holidays.
Locals reported that these tourists throw away disposable plates, bottles, glasses, polythene and other wastes directly in the Haor waters. They also hold high-decibel “DJ parties” much to the chagrin of the locals.
Ahmad Kabir, an environmentalist from Joypur, said: “The aquatic and terrestrial environment is being ruined by the waste discarded by these tourists, who travel on speedboats, engine-driven boats and launches, among other vessels.”
Kabir mentioned that the tourists’ presence compounded the woes caused by the floods.
“[The tourists] are holding DJ parties with loudspeakers. They are throwing non-decaying waste they’ve used in the Haor. These waste materials are floating around near the Haor watch tower, Joypur, Golabari, Patlai River and other places”
Khasrul Alam, a businessman from Golabari village, said: “They’re throwing these waste materials without a care. This should be strictly supervised. We can’t accept such acts in the name of celebrations.”
Ali Reza, a farmer from Mandiata village, mentioned that some “disregarding” tourists are damaging the environment of the Haor. He thinks such acts should be met with penalties and fines.
Yahya Sazzad, an employee at the Centre for Natural Resource Studies – connected to the preservation of the wetlands – for a decade and a half, said: “The abuse from tourists at Tanguar Haor has reached worrying levels. The locals are ignorant as well.”
He thinks even police or the administration will not be able to curb such violations. He urged the formation of “controlled eco-tourism” by the local union council authorities in association with the locals.
Sazzad also pointed out that charging tolls for tourist boats can rein in the situation to a degree.
Rayhan Kabir, Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer or UNO, said: “We’re yet to recover from the devastating impacts of the floods. The tourists doing merriment at Tanguar Haor in the midst of this was beyond our imagination.”
He said the tourists blasting loudspeakers and discarding waste in the Haor prompted the decision to launch a mobile court from Tuesday.
Whoever damages the nature will face the law, he said.
