Shaplar Beel: Blend of beauty, utility exemplified
A vast tract of land in Barisal has turned into a glaring example of how nature can open up its treasure trove all year round irrespective of the season when its bounties are harvested in moderation and with due respect.
For most of the year, the around 4,000 hectares of the land in Ujirpur's Shatla union remains covered in water with the surface blooming with thousands of waterlilies, for which it is aptly called Shaplar Beel or “Lake of Waterlilies”.
Being just around 60 kilometres from Barisal city helps draw visitors who take delight in admiring the dazzling pink spectacle.
Apart from being decorative, many parts of the plants are edible since the stalk, young leaves and unopened flower buds can be consumed raw or boiled to be served as a vegetable.
This makes numerous families dependent on the plant as a source of income, collecting it for sale at local markets.
The shade from the plants helps reduce the growth of algae while the tangle of underwater vegetation offers shelter to a myriad of fish including walking fish, butter fish and mullet. This resource aids in meeting the daily protein and nutrient requirement of the locals and provides an added source of earning.
The landscape dons another look from the start of December. As the water recedes, some 200 farmers, with permission from the upazila administration, plant the Boro variety of rice.
The farmers are aided by the fact that the land requires no irrigation or chemical fertiliser, Deputy Agriculture Officer Md Rafiqul Islam told The Daily Star recently.
The farmers say they just clear the land of weed before the fertile soil slowly turns into a sea of swaying green. The paddy ripens as the months pass and the golden glimmer of the harvest further brings a smile to the faces of the locals.
Only this crop is cultivated in the area and the scenario prevails till March when the rains arrive, once again filling the lake for the cycle to be repeated once again.
Shaplar Beel is a valuable lifeline for thousands of families with, as Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jumur Bala points out, the locals maintaining the balance of nature while attaining food security.
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