Fishes worth Tk 15 cr washed away

UNB, Mirsarai, Chittagong :
Fishes worth Tk 15 crore have been washed away from different water bodies under the Muhuri Project due to the onrush of water from hills triggered by heavy rainfall
over the last few days.
Local people said the rainfall-inflicted onrush of water from the hills coupled with the tidal water have washed away the cultured fishes of 150-200 water bodies under the
Muhuri Project, a fisheries project covering large area in the upazila.
The income of about 400 fish farmers will be largely affected by the incident.
Sources concerned said a five-kilometre-long embankment that was built along the Mirsarai part of the Feni river in 1985, had resulted into the emergence of vast char on the riverbed adjacent to the structure.
Many people took lease lands on the char and built up fish farms.
Every year, about 2,000 tonnes of different fishes worth over Tk 15 crore are produced from the fish farms in that area.
However, natural disaster over the last few days affected the fish farms causing extensive loss to about 400 fish farmers.
Local UP chairman Mozzammel Haque said about five tonnes of fishes are produced in an one acre farm in the project area.
Most of the fishes are supplied to different areas of Chittagong and Feni.
Mozammel Haque also noted that the flooding of the fish farms will have an adverse impact on the fish supply to those areas.
Mirsarai Fisheries Officer Abul Kalam Azad said fish farms under the Muhuri Project have been seriously affected by the flood.