Fish, poultry farms and fruit and vegetable gardens are being destroyed in the hills adjacent to Chainda Khondkar Para of South Mithachari in Ramur, Cox’s Bazar. Already 60-70 acres of forest area has been cleared. For the past one month, digging of ponds inside the reserved forest area, electricity connection by pulling bamboo poles, destruction of trees by chemicals and fire and clearing the forest by laborers and planting fruit trees, selling land in the form of plots, but the forest department is silent. It is narrowing the range of elephants. In addition to the destruction of bird habitats, the biodiversity of the forest is also being destroyed. The leaders of various environmental organizations in Cox’s Bazar have expressed concern about the establishment of commercial farms by private enterprises by illegally connecting electricity to the elephant free roaming sanctuary. The area is a free roaming area for elephants. Adjacent to Himchhari National Park, the forest is home to 127 species of birds, numerous biodiversity and wild animals. If commercial farms are established there, the natural ecosystem will be threatened along with the destruction of biodiversity and wildlife habitats. Every day 10/15 workers are clearing the forest there day and night. A laborer named Kamal said that about 60/70 acres of forest area is being occupied for fish and poultry farms and fruit and vegetable gardens. Electricity connection has also been laid from a few kilometers away. It takes several hours to reach the spot after crossing several hills from Ramu Chainda. Although the infrastructure is built in the remote mountains, traveling there is risky. Armed people are guarding the road. Local residents said that the local influential Azizul Haque started the work of clearing trees and digging ponds in the elephant sanctuary for several months by managing the dishonest employees of the forest department. A few other local influential people led by Abu Taher and Saidul Alam have been associated with Azizul Haque for a month. Now the forest has been cut down and cleared with chemicals, and various species of fruit trees are being planted there. Already more than 60/70 acres of forest area has been deforested. Local bonbit officials and villagers have traveled to the spot but are playing a silent role in the eviction. Farmer Monir Ahmed of the local Khondkar neighborhood said that there was dense forest there even a few months ago. Wild elephants roamed. No plants now. A farm is being created by clearing the forest. Jalal Ahmad, a local resident of the said area, said that wild elephants were roaming in the occupied forest land. Electric traps have been installed to prevent elephants from entering the area. Electricity is brought to the trap by pulling lines from long distances. For some time Azizul Haque has been selling the forest land occupied by Gangra to different people in the form of plots and earning huge amount of money. A person named Abu Taher is cultivating fruits and vegetables in the occupied area. In relation to the creation of a private garden inside the forest area, he bought the land from Abu Taherzanan, Azizul Haq on stamp duty and is making a fruit garden. Already 90 thousand saplings have been planted there. The area is elephant-prone, so more plum trees are being planted. Forest department personnel are regularly coming to the spot but are not obstructing the work. Azizul Haque is responsible for managing everything. When asked about this, Azizul Haque said that the forest department gave him these hilly lands as ‘villagers’. There is no mountain clearing and cutting of trees, only by clearing the forest, some of them are gardening together. He also denied the allegation of selling the land in the form of plots. Regarding the allegation, Fachiul Alam said that the forest workers led by him went to the spot several times after getting the news of the construction of the farm by cutting the trees. See fruit seedlings being planted. Look at the power connection. He forbade the encroachers to refrain from destroying the forest area. Senior officials have also been summoned to take legal action. Sarwar Alam, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Cox’s Bazar South Forest Division, said that necessary action will be taken against the guilty before investigating the matter of encroachment and cutting of trees in the forest department. Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the same forest department ) Shyamal Kumar Ghosh said, “I am not aware of the private initiative of creating fish farms and poultry farms by occupying elephant sanctuaries. However, the forest land will be recovered from the illegal encroachers after investigation. Cox’s Bazar Sadar Forest Range Officer Sumir Ranjan Saha said that necessary measures will be taken after knowing the details of the elephant sanctuary and making fish and poultry.
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