Hilsa crisis deepens as pollution, encroachment hit Andharmanik River

A public hearing was held on the Andharmanik River in Kalapara, Patuakhali, on Monday (10 November), calling for urgent measures to protect the Hilsa sanctuary and safeguard the coastal environment from pollution and unplanned development.

The event, organised by the Environment and Development Forum–Patuakhali, Development Organisation Prantajan, CLEAN, and BWGED, brought together fishing families, environmental activists, and civil society representatives. Speakers warned that due to encroachment, pollution, and large-scale industrial projects — including coal-based power plants and the Payra Port — the Andharmanik River, once a thriving Hilsa sanctuary, is now on the brink of ecological collapse.

Local fisherwoman Aklima, from Madhupara, said, "My husband has been a fisherman since 2002. We once survived comfortably on his catch, but now there is no Hilsa in the river. We can't fish in the Payra channel anymore, and our income has almost disappeared." Other fishers, including Chandrabhanu Begum, Mannan Pahlwan, and Abdur Rab, echoed similar struggles, saying the Hilsa no longer enter the Rabnabad and Andharmanik rivers due to pollution and hot water discharge from power plants.

Environmental activist Oliur Rahman Nipul said the development projects had disrupted Hilsa breeding migration routes. Other speakers, including teacher Firoz Talukder, former member KM Jalal Uddin, Environment Forum convener Amal Mukherjee, and Barishal Environment and Public Safety Forum convener Shubhankhar Chakraborty, also addressed the hearing.

The panel of judges included Dr Mohammad Ashraful Haque, Chief Scientific Officer of the Fisheries Research Institute, Khepupara; Asim Abrar, Lecturer at the Department of Coastal Studies and Disaster Management, Barishal University; and Advocate Subhash Chandra Das.

In his keynote address, Touhidul Islam Shahzada, Executive Director of Development Organisation Prantajan, said Hilsa production had dropped by 42,000 tonnes between FY2022–23 and FY2023–24 nationwide. "This is an alarming sign for the fisheries economy," he said, noting that Barishal Division, which produces 65% of the country's Hilsa, saw a decline of 23,509 tonnes in the same period.

Fisheries experts warned that untreated industrial waste, heated water discharge, and unplanned infrastructure — including three bridges within an eight-kilometre stretch of the Andharmanik River — are disrupting water flow, reducing navigability, and blocking Hilsa migration from the Bay of Bengal. Uncontrolled sand dumping and illegal encroachment have further threatened the river's existence.

Speakers demanded the government and relevant authorities:

• Enforce strict environmental standards for industrial waste and hot water discharge.

• Consult fisheries experts before approving infrastructure projects in Hilsa breeding areas.

• Ensure shipping and construction do not obstruct Hilsa migration routes.

• Conduct proper environmental impact assessments on marine biodiversity before approving mega projects.

• Identify and protect the official boundaries of the Andharmanik River to stop encroachment and pollution.

They warned that without urgent intervention, both the Hilsa population and the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities could face irreversible damage.