The dam at the mouth of Hidairkhal River is bringing negative impact on the flow of water into the Sari River. In near future, it will bring negative impact on the water flow of other rivers in entire Sylhet region if the dam is not demolished immediately. Water experts and green activists came up with the apprehension on Friday afternoon at a protest programme. Marking the World Environment Day, they formed a human chain on the dam demanding its immediate demolition.
The experts said Hidairkhal is not any small hilly fountain or any man-made canal, it is a lively mighty river flowing through the region from the time immemorial. This river is the only source of water for numerous canals and water bodies of the locality. Building a dam on its mouth for the communication benefit of only several hundred people, ignoring the plight of thousands of people of at least three upazilas of the district, is a grave crime.
Mentionable, only a year ago, in 2018, people of some villages of Alirgaon union under Gowainghat upazila in Sylhet have built a dam on the mouth of Hidairkhal, a major tributary of Sari River, flowing through Sylhet, only to travel to nearby Monjiltola Bazaar. Terming the controversial dam ‘a deadly torture on the mother nature’, speakers at the human chain warned that it and would adversely affect the biodiversity, environment and human habitation of the entire Sylhet region.
Abdul Hye Al-Hadi, president of Sari Nodi Bachao Andolan, presided over the human chain, while local people, journalists and green activists expressed solidarity with the programme and spoke there. Among them, Ehsanul Haque Jasim of Daily Bangladesh Post, former president of Jaintapur Press Club Foyez Ahmed, workers’ leader Golam Mostafa, local journalist Sohel Ahmed, Jahidul Islam Shimul, member of Monjiltola Bazaar Committee Altaf Uddin, Azmal Ali, Joyen Uddin, Rubel Ahmed and Badshah Mia.
Abdul Hye said that already the dam has turned into a death trap as erosion in the Sari River has turned violent during during recent times due to its construction.“We apprehend that it will bring a major disaster for the people of Gowainghat, Jaintapur and Kanaighat upazilas in Sylhet if the dam is not demolished without any delay. The natural resources and tourism spots of northern part of Sylhet will also be heavily affected due to the dam,” he added.
If the dam is not demolished immediately, he warned, green activists along with the people of the locality will forge a tougher movement. Talking to the Bangladesh Post, some local people said that some local influential had taken the step of construction the dam to achieve their own interest. Even many people of Monjiltola Bazaar area are against the dam, but they are keeping silence due to fear of the local influential.
