Ten wild animals died by entangling in electric wire on the Lauachhara National Park’s Road, Bangladesh
মো: সফিকুজ্জামান
Road railways and electricity grid lines in Moulvibaza ‘s Lawachara National Park have now become the cause of wildlife deaths.
Many rare species of lions, monkeys, Hanumans, pythons, and owls are killed by trains or on roads. Electric wires also sometimes kill many wild animals.
Concerned authorities are apathetic to implementing the long-standing demand to take out the national grid lines of electricity, railways, and roads going through this national park.
According to the information of the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Moulvibazar, ten wild animals have lost their lives within the nine months since last January, entangled in roads and power lines in Lauachhara.
The wildlife sanctuary of Lauachhra has become dangerous due to the passage of railways and roads through the forest.
Conscious environmentalists feel that speed control of vehicles on seven kilometers of railway and paved roads in Lauachhara has become necessary. In addition, regional roads are more beneficial if taken outside the forest.
According to Sections 2 and 3 of the Bangladesh Wild Life (Preservation) (Amendment) Act, 1974, on July 7, 1996, 1,250 hectares (3088 acres) of West Bhanugach Reserved Forest between Kamalganj and Srimangal in Moulvibazar in the northeastern part of the country has declared a National Park (a protected area for nature).
To preserve the wildlife and nature there the initiative has taken. However, in 1997 Magurchhara gas well explosion and fire caused immense damage to forest and wildlife, which is still not recovered.
The maximum temperature of 27 degrees Celsius in February and 36 degrees Celsius in June is present in this forest.
According to the forest department, Lauachhra has 460 species of biodiversity. Two hundred forty-six species of birds, six species of reptiles, and four species of amphibians roam in this forest. Besides, 167 wild animals have been released in the forest in the last few years.
Shyamal Kumar Mitra, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Mulovi Bazar, said, ”Two northern pig-tailed macaques, 1 Capped Leaf Monkey, 1 Phayre’s Leaf Monkey, 1 Pig-tailed Macaque, 1 Asian palm civet, 1 mongoose, and 1 Fishing Cat have died by the accidents for within the last eight months. Meanwhile, Capped Leaf Monkey lost his life on the electricity grid line, and all the rest died on the roads. We have started various programs to control the speed of vehicles in the forest for the safety of wildlife.”
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Divisional Forest Officer of the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department, said, ”A letter has been sent to the concerned department to remove the road from Lauachhara.
We want the speed of buses and trains within the Lauachhara National Park area not to exceed 20 KMPH under any circumstances, and we want to ensure that.”
