Bangladesh is the land of rivers. And when we talk about North Bengal, the largest and richest wetland of Bangladesh - Chalanbil comes to mind. During the rainy season, its vast water body attracts tourists greatly. Then it seems like a huge sea, where floating green villages stand like small islands. But there is a strange law of nature. The beel that is submerged in water during the rainy season, takes on a completely different form in the dry season. Since I am a native of this region, I am very familiar with this transformation of Chalanbil. Still, I could not help but share with you the scene I saw while walking through the beel during this dry season.
Chalanbil: Our Great Natural Resource
Before going into the travel story, let me tell you some great information about this huge beel in my area. Many people think that Chalanbil may be a specific big beel. But it is not. This vast basin, covering an area of about 1150 square kilometers, has been created by the confluence of numerous small and large beels, canals and rivers! It is not only the largest beel in our country, but also one of the largest inland wetlands in the entire South Asia.
It is mainly spread across three districts - Natore, Sirajganj and Pabna. Its largest part falls in our Gurdaspur and Singra upazilas of Natore. It also extends to Tarash, Raiganj and Chatmohar in Sirajganj.
On a global scale, it may not be as large as the 'Pantanal' of South America (which has an area of 42,000 square kilometers), but the importance of the Chalanbeel in protecting our environment and biodiversity is immense. In addition to abundant native fish during the rainy season, it provides a safe habitat for 34 species of reptiles and 27 species of mammals.
And in winter, this beel becomes filled with the chirping of thousands of guest birds from distant Siberia and other countries.
Current picture of the dry season: The cry of water
When the guest birds return at the end of winter, the water in the lake starts to recede. And the picture of the current Chaitra-Baishakh month is completely different. While passing by the beel, I saw that the rivers flowing through the beel are almost dead. Except for some ponds dug by farmers for irrigation and a few narrow rivers, there is not a single drop of water anywhere in this huge beel.
The most worrying thing is that lately it has been raining heavily here from time to time, but no water is accumulating in the beel. The main reason for this is that there is no water at all in the rivers, so even if the rain water comes, it is no longer in a condition to hold it. Where big boats used to ply during the rainy season, dust is now flying and footpaths have been created.
The smile of golden crops and the busyness of farmers
However, despite this lack of water, the Chalanbeel has taken on a different form. As soon as the water dries up, this vast area becomes a golden crop field for farmers.
Now the busy season of harvesting Iri (Boro) paddy is underway in Chalanbil. I saw miles upon miles of golden paddy fields. In the afternoon sunlight, it seemed as if everything around was covered in gold. When the rice grains swayed in the light breeze, it seemed as if waves of rice were playing across the entire Chalanbil instead of water.
The farmers are having a very busy time now. Ignoring the scorching sun and heat, they are harvesting paddy in groups. Some are harvesting paddy, while others are carrying huge sheaves of that paddy on their heads for threshing. Despite the lack of water, the farmers have no regrets, but rather smiles on their faces with the satisfaction of bringing home a new crop. Seeing this festive atmosphere, it seemed that Chalanbil not only provides fish, but also provides food for thousands of people like us.
Conclusion: This transformation of nature is truly amazing. The Chalanbil, which was a kingdom of still water a few months ago, has now turned into a sea of golden paddy. For those who only come to Chalanbil for boat trips during the rainy season, I would say – make time to visit during the dry season as well. The struggle of the hardworking people and the peaceful, gentle, golden form of nature will fascinate you.
(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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| Camera Used | Samsung SM-G973F |
|---|---|
| F-Stop | F2.4 |
| ISO speed | ISO |
| Focal length | 26mm |
| Flash | No |
| Editing app | MIX |
| Photography | (Chalanbil) |
| Photographer |  |
| Location | Natore, Bangladesh |
| Latitude | Longitude | Map Link |
|---|---|---|
| 24.41742 | 89.27015 | [//]:# (!worldmappin 24.41742 lat 89.27015 long d3scr) |