Hiren Pandit: Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited Sylhet with 500 colleagues and party associates while still a college student for his campaign in the 1947 referendum that Sylhet would not be part of Pakistan but part of India. He thought of a separate office because of his experience traveling in the Haor region. As a result, in 1974, Bangabandhu announced the formation of the ‘Hower Development Board.’ Later 1977, the Father of the Nation’s Dream Haor Development Board was formed. But without a dreamer, this department continued to run on Slack.
After going through many ups and downs, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the successor of the father of the nation, established the Directorate of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development in 2016 by connecting the wetlands. This department’s direction covers the whole country’s wetlands, including seven North Eastern region districts. The area of the seabed, which is 6 meters deep, is also covered. When you say Haor, a considerable amount of water floats in front of your eyes. In the rainy season, where the eyes go, only water and water. During the dry season, instead of water, the harvest of crops across the field fills the eyes. In the Haor region, crops are underwater for six months, and villages float like islands. It is a picture of the rainy season.
There are six months of dry summer season. At this time, as far as the eye can see, field after field, green waves play. Haor’s art culture fascinates many today. People’s deep attraction towards Haor is being noticed as the days pass. Tourist traffic is increasing. Domestic and foreign tourists are now choosing to travel to the Haor region. The potential of the tourism industry is growing here. But how much we can use it is such a big question. Haor region means Haor region of 7 districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrakona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria. It is known from history that Haor arose from the chest of the sea. Haor region total 373. Among these haors are 97 in Kishoreganj, 105 in Sylhet, 95 in Sunamganj, 3 in Moulvibazar, 14 in Habiganj, 52 in Netrakona and 7 in Brahmanbaria.
More than 3,000 water bodies are in the area, from which about 4 lakh tons of fish are harvested annually. Haor region is submerged in 10-30 feet of water during monsoon. Again, after the monsoon season, various crops are harvested during the dry season in the Haor region. People’s minds dance with happiness at this time. The Haor Basin is flat, like a bowl in the distance. About 19.37 million people live in the Haor area, which is about 8 thousand square kilometers. The total cultivable land is 0.73 million hectares, yielding 5.23 million tons of rice annually. A budget of 27 thousand 963 crore 5 lakh taka has been allocated to 153 projects in 17 areas for 20 years to improve the living and socio-economic conditions of the people in the area covered by it.
These five, ten, and twenty-year 2012-2032 projects are being implemented in three phases. An integrated master plan—a road map for development—identifies all possible vital issues. In the field of agriculture, it has been said in the master plan that the project will be implemented by government institutions and NGOs related to agriculture. The board will do monitoring, but they have limited manpower. It is essential to strengthen the board in implementing this great Yajna of Haor. Data collection, evaluation, and project formulation are based on a partnership in six steps using modern technology GIS.
Today, it is difficult for us to survive without technology-based agriculture. Agricultural technology gives us less labor, lower production costs, higher yields, less wastage, higher profit, and more nutritious grain. There is no other option but mechanization of agriculture. The deep water-woven Aman paddy is cultivated in 16 upazilas in the Haor area. All these reservoirs provide food and shelter to fish. After paddy cultivation, this land remains fallow. Some farmers have emphasized developing high-value, short-lived, high-yielding dry-season rice varieties in these lands. Crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices, oilseeds, and pulses are more profitable than rice. However, it is essential to have a separate project for rice seed production in this master plan.
Farmers are advised to cultivate according to socio-economic and geographical conditions. A database is being made, and crops are being arranged by considering climate, land structure, classification of all land use possibilities, land fertility, natural disasters, resources, disasters, markets, and communication. Farmers from every upazila are being trained to invent crop production methods by reducing pesticide use and protecting the environment through integrated pest management. Integrated crop management aims to produce more crops while limiting non-renewable inputs, increasing efficiency, and reducing wastage and pollution.
Crop rotation, proper breeding technology, reduction of artificial intensive use, land slope, and wildlife behavior will be preserved. Cultivation and production of aromatic and medicinal plants – agar has been planned on hilly slopes of 16 upazilas of the Haor area. A plan to increase nutritional supply and income by increasing homestead cultivation of vegetables, mushrooms, pulses, spices, and fruits throughout the year. River dredging is an integrated initiative of the Hao Master Plan. It will be implemented in 2000 village houses, including high-rise buildings with excavated soil. Ten thousand farmers will be selected and trained, and free fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides will be revolutionized. Digging ponds and creating more planned villages with multi-storied buildings with modern facilities and raising vegetables, fish, fruit trees, cattle, and poultry can increase income many times.
Dry land in Howar is rugged during monsoon season, and vegetables are scarce, but fast-growing aquatic plants abound. There is no water flow or waves in some places near Haor village. There, they stimulate the cultivation of various spices, such as red leafy greens, Indian spinach, bitter gourds, sweet pumpkins, cucumbers, etc., in floating vegetables. Improved, more productive boro, aman paddy, vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, spice seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation facilities, and training will be provided. Farmers’ organizations, producers and traders, and water management organizations will be formed. The plan is to offer power tillers, rice harvesters, threshing machines, and irrigation pumps through this organization.
Availability of agricultural inputs at fair prices and creation of market houses for the non-agricultural business community; Regular price declaration, quality control, and ensuring fair price and preservation. Sediment is now a severe problem in Bangladesh’s wetlands. We cannot prevent it, but we have the opportunity to manage it. Water comes down from upstream and from the mountains, bringing with it sediment; one billion tons of sediment a year fills up the rivers, swamps, and riverbeds. The primary function of these reservoirs is to counter the desertification process of the area. By cutting a certain amount of soil, the navigability of the haor can be increased for the whole year.
The soil can be excavated and used for development purposes and exported abroad. If you can increase the fertility of the wetland, it will be possible to earn 6-7 times more income by farming fish throughout the year; as a result, the size of the GDP will increase, and at the same time, money flow will be created in the society. The number of fish that can be farmed in Haor will increase our fish production many times. Nutrient needs will be met, and freshwater fish can be exported. One hundred crore karach trees can be planted in Haor and water bodies. Naturally, nightfall can be nightfall in tourist areas as well. Fish will take shelter at the tree’s base, and birds can take refuge at the top. Protects the roots of trees from damming or soil erosion. Carbon emissions will be significantly reduced. Native species of Hijal Tamal trees can also be planted per the Prime Minister’s instructions. Tourism can be arranged in haor and wetlands. There should be a bathroom where people stay for more than two hours. Where more than three hours are required, there should be food hotels. Community-based tourism can be managed. Local Union Parishad or Upazila Parishad can take care of it, and they can also get income. Tourists can be accommodated in the house rental system, and food can be provided. As a result, local people can earn money, and their interest and participation in tourism will increase.
To improve the living standards of the Haor people, protection walls should be provided in the villages of Haor in the Sweden model. Trees will be planted like gardens; solar systems will be in the whole area – people can get IT support and use Wi-Fi. Sanitation will be like the entire family. Drinking water should be made available to all. It is necessary to create walkways for movement during rainy days. The construction of the silo godown is significant. Storage can be constructed to preserve fish. If a 100 km flyover is constructed connecting 37 upazilas of Haor, people’s mobility will increase; on the other hand, the door of tourism will be opened.
The environment prevailing in Bangladesh is not acceptable at all. Carbon levels in the air are high, dust is high, noise pollution is high, and waste management is abysmal. The standard of living of people is worse than this. Sediment flows from India, China, and Nepal, filling our rivers and streams. For this reason, it is necessary to keep rivers and rivers navigable throughout the year by dredging the soil regularly. Soils can be used for developmental purposes in the country. Planting a few million trees in wetlands will improve the environment. Sewing training for women, poultry training, dried fish preparation, electrician training for men, driving, language learning, etc., can be provided. The Sundarbans area has already captured the hearts of the world.
Here, visits can be facilitated, and special projects can be undertaken to improve the ecosystem. Tanguare Haor and Hakaluki Haor have made nature beautiful. Biodiesel production from Haor’s Karachi oil could be a breakthrough. This oil can also be used instead of kerosene to cook, run pump machines, and drive power trailers and tractors in India. It is used for running buses, trucks, and generators. Kerosene oil is used in fuel, lubricants, soap making, leather processing, and painting. Its oil is used as a medicine for rheumatic pain and skin diseases. Caraway oil and dried leaves are used for insect control. Khail of Karach is used as poultry feed.
Applying karach khoil to soil increases soil fertility. Apart from this, many people think that Khoil is a better material than dung for biogas production. The demand for hair black soil is increasing daily as it is affordable, readily available, and burns longer than other fuels, including wood. Black soil is found at 5 feet to 10 feet in the bottom of dry rivers and haors. Black clay is affordable, readily available, and burns longer than other fuels, including wood. Sunamganj, the capital of Haor and one of the sources of folk culture, was born in Sunamganj, the Marmi saint Dewan Hasan Raja, Baul Emperor Shah Abdul Karim, father of Dhamail song Radharaman Dutta, Durbin Shah and Pandit Ramkanai Das, etc.
The description of Baul Emperor Shah Abdul Karim shows a picture of the people of Haor catching fish and singing songs with joy in the monsoon water. Boats and boats can be seen during the rainy season. Haor is now a part of world heritage and a veritable haven of diversity. There are priceless resources scattered all over Haor. One day, it will attract tourists from home and abroad by tapping into the immense potential of tourism. All it takes is the correct initiative. It is necessary to develop various beautiful hotels, guest houses, etc., to develop the tourism industry here. If the grand plan is implemented, the appearance of Haor will change radically, revolutionary changes will take place, and the quality of life will be improved.
Hiren Pandit is an essayist and research fellow