Honaiya Canal of East Alinagar in Kerhat union of Mirsarai in Chittagong has been occupied by the agro and chemical waste of Nahar Agro. As a result, thousands of people living in the area have fallen into extreme misery. The Baromasi Honaiya canal is the only means of water circulation in West Alingar, East Alinagar, Nalkhon, Tripura Para, Geramara Guchhgram of this union. During the monsoon season, the water of the hill slope flows through this canal and falls into the Feni River. The residents of these few villages survive from waterlogging.
This canal is the only natural source for the daily use of water including bathing, washing, eating, bathing of cattle, irrigation, fishing for hundreds of families in the area. Not only water circulation and use, but also the main tool to keep the agricultural lands of a few nearby villages alive. It is also home to many species of aquatic animals including crabs, turtles, snakes, earthworms, shrimps, various species of fish. But in the evolution of time, most of the canal has been filled and shrunk due to siltation with the hill slope. Water movement has been disrupted due to narrowing in volume. Some parts of the agricultural land have been filled with soil. This has also changed the course of the canal. The normal flow of water has decreased.
Even after all these devastating conditions, the canal waterflow has not stopped. Nahar Agro and Poultry Feeds Ltd., located at the foot of a hill in Alingar village, is dumping waste produced by their chicken hatcheries and dairy farms. Which flows directly into the Feni River. As a result, on the one hand, the water of Feni River has become poisonous and pollution is spreading far and wide. The color of the river water is changing and fading. Natural fish breeding of Feni River is facing loss, local fishermen. The river water has also become unusable. On the other hand, as a result of dumping waste for a long time, the rhyme is filled and water flow is stopped. The locals have become impatient with the stench of waste. The irrigation system of the surrounding agricultural lands is under threat. The villages are on the verge of flooding due to heavy rains and useless gates of Chhara.
On Sunday (July 3), a pile of rubbish was found in the hatchery of Honaiya canal. At that time, 7-8 workers of Nahar Agro were seen carrying hatchery waste in a van and bringing it near the canal and pouring it directly into the waterbody. The water movement is being disrupted by falling into the water movement part of the canal. Most of the canal is on the way to be filled with waste. The only sluicegate here is useless. The Honaiya Chhara is a dairy farm in Nahar, southeast. The cow dung of this farm can also be seen floating in the water of the canal. Farmers and pedestrians are walking with their noses checked due to the strong smell.
According to the locals, the excrement of the dairy farm in Nahar is released into the water every morning and night. At this time, it became a responsibility to survive the stench. These excrements are mixed with water and fall on crop lands and people's houses.
Shahed, a local resident, said it was not possible to work on agricultural land here when the farm's excrement was released. Earlier we used to drink the water of this canal. Now it is difficult to wash the feet away. Farmers and peasants who did not want to be named said the same thing. They said that when it rains, the waste spreads into farmlands. Earlier, water used to flow into the river from this canal. Now the canal is full due to the dumping of waste. The water is not moving most of the time. Stinking cow dung can be seen floating in the water. At that time it was difficult to stay at home. In this way, the stench of the waste of this agro company is constantly creating problems.
Sadhan Tripura, president of the Mirsarai Nalkhon Small Anthropological Association, said the canal was the only natural source of water use. Now the water is polluted. Waterlogging has occurred. Day after day we stink of the stench. No one seems to see these.
When asked, Ferdous Anwar, deputy director of the environment department in Chittagong district, said, "We have visited the place after receiving the complaint." These wastes are supposed to be given to wind and gas plants. But there is no chance of them filling up and obstructing the flow of water. We are taking action.
Mirsarai Upazila Nirbahi Officer Minhazur Rahman said, "No one will be given a chance to create misery of the people by occupying pollution." Immediate action is being taken.
Asked about this, Md. Rakibur Rahman Tutul, managing director of Nahar Agro Ltd., said, "We have not given any instructions to anyone to dump waste in the canal. I see if anything like that has happened.”
On 28 November 2017 Advocate Amir Abbas, Member Secretary of the National Liberation Council, filed a case against Rakibur Rahman Tutul, Managing Director of Nahar Agro, in the Chittagong Environmental Court under the Environment Act, alleging that he planned to evict Tripura Para, cut down hills and fill it with rhyme.
