After 55 years, lake renovation underway in Madhupur forest of Tangail

"Madhupur Garh" in Tangail district is a well known place to everyone. Everyday, many tourists from home and abroad come to this forest for fun and entertainment. To further enhance its beauty, the Forest Department has started the Gargaria Lake renovation work to protect the biodiversity of Madhupur and solve the water crisis of wild animals.

The lake re-excavation and renovation work is now almost at the final stage. Once the excavation and renovation work is completed, the beauty and attraction of the forest will increase. The government's revenue will also increase.

Meanwhile, a section of the small ethnic group fears that the reclamation of the lake could damage the agricultural land upstream. However, locals believe that the restoration of the lake will bring back life to the biodiversity of the Madhupur forest.

It was found on the spot that the Forest Department officially started the re-excavation work of Gargaria Lake in the Madhupur National Park range on February 7 under the Shalban Restoration Project. Since then, a section of the local small ethnic group has started spreading various confusions. As a result, there has been some disruption in the lake renovation work. The Forest Department has considered this opposition to be purposeful and misleading from the beginning. Those obstructing government work are working in favor of a group.

The 45,565.18 acres of forest land of the traditional Madhupur Garh is home to Chitra deer, Maya deer, Mukhpora Hanuman and many species of animals and birds. To ensure the water needs of these wild animals, Gargaria Lake was excavated in the 1970s. After that, no initiative was taken to re-excavate or renovate the lake in the last 55 years. As a result, most of the lake was filled. The water level drops to zero during the dry season. As a result, wild animals and birds are in danger due to lack of water.

Overall, the Forest Department took the initiative to re-excavate the lake with various goals and objectives, including ensuring year-round water for wildlife and birds, preserving the wetland ecosystem and aquatic life, creating a water source to extinguish forest fires during the dry season, and providing irrigation facilities for the agricultural activities of the small ethnic groups of Gaira village.

According to Tangail Forest Department sources, the depth of the lake is being increased through the ongoing project. This will ensure water for wildlife and birds throughout the year. In addition, to ensure that the agricultural land of small ethnic groups and locals is not damaged, the soil extracted from the lake is being kept on abandoned land near the forest. Which is at least half a kilometer away from the agricultural land of the locals.

On February 7, the Gargaria Lake renovation work was inaugurated by Divisional Forest Officer Dr. Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, President of Joyenshahi Adivasi Unnayan Parishad Eugene Nakrek, President of Madhupur National Park Co-Management Committee Lal Mia and local dignitaries.

When asked, Mosharraf Hossain, deputy range officer of the National Park Sadar Range, said that the soil extracted from the lake is being removed very carefully so that the cultivated land of the locals is not damaged.

Regarding the lake re-excavation, Eugene Nokrek, president of the Joyenshahi Adivasi Unnayan Parishad, said, "The tribals have a lot of rice land upstream of Gargaria Lake. A long canal was dug in 1977 to drain water near the lake. The canal is currently in disrepair. It has become urgent to clean the canal. If it is not cleaned, a lot of agricultural land will be damaged. Eugene Nokrek believes that the renovation of this lake will ensure safe drinking water for forest animals and birds."

In this regard, Tangail Divisional Forest Officer Dr. Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain told this reporter that once the renovation work is completed, Gargaria Lake Madhupur will become a milestone in protecting the ecological balance and survival of wildlife. It will increase beauty and attraction. This will also increase the government's revenue collection.