Drying up Kaptai Lake hampers life in the hills

Though the summer season has just begun and the heat wave is expected to continue for another two months, the water level in the Kaptai Lake has already started to decline, hampering livelihood of people in the hill district.

Besides, people living in different remote areas are the worst sufferer as they are facing immense trouble in going to and from the district headquarters through waterways.

Locals cannot bring their agricultural products to the district town as the goods-carrying trawlers often gets stuck in the drying up lake.

Moreover, due to a decrease in the water level power generation has been badly disrupted, causing frequent load shedding in different areas of the district.

Mentionable, only one out of the five units is currently generating 35 to 40 MW electricity.

On the other hand, production of various fish species has also decreased, which is hindering the livelihood of hundreds of local fishermen.

More than 5,000 five thousand fishermen earn their livelihood by catching fish in the lake water.

Rangamati Boat Malik Samity President Moyin Uddin Selim said due to a drastic fall in the water level in Kaptai Lake local people are facing great difficulties it reaching five upazilas--Belaichhari, Barkol, Langudu, Jurachhari and Baghaichhari—of the district by trawlers.

Gyanamoy Tanchangya, a farmer from Farua union in Belaichhari upazila, said due to lack of water in the Kaptai Lake they have to travel several kilometres more to bring their agricultural products like ginger, turmeric and Jujube to Rangamati town and Kaptai Bazar.

According to Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC), they have a target to bring 9,000 tonnes of fish at the BFDC Marketing Centre in 2022-2023 fiscal year.

But, only 709 tonnes, which is only 52.33 percent of the target, have been deposited at the marketing centre so far.

Dr Robiul Awal Hossain, chief scientific officer at Rangamati Fisheries Research Institute, said due to the siltation and mindless dumping of toxic waste many fish species in lake are on the verge of extinction.

Usually, fish needs three to four months to get mature, he said, adding that seven out of the 72 fish species have already vanished.

ATM Abduzzaher, manager at Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Plant (KHPP), said usually water level in the Kaptai Lake starts declining in the middle of the year, but it started decreasing since February this year.

Out of the five units, only one unit is currently generating 25MW electricity instead of 230MW due to the drastic fall of water level in the Kaptai Lake.

If such situation continues, they may have to close the only power generating unit in near future, he added.

In 1960, the then Pakistan government built the Kaptai Hydroelectric Dam, covering 1,036 square kilometres area.