IS IT KAPTAI LAKE?

In summer, the water level of Kaptai Lake has been dropping alarmingly for the last few years. The Rangamati district administration claims it to be normal since the Kaptai hydroelectric power plant uses the water. However, experts say that the surrounding area has been subjected to agricultural activities new to the area and this is causing land erosion and reducing the lake's water retention capacity. The Kaptai Lake project began in 1957, displacing over 100,000 people. Now the power plant produces around 230MW, five percent of Bangladesh's electricity consumption. The photos are from Banorupa Market and Reserve Bazar, inset, and Assam Basti near the Rangamati-Kaptai Road recently. Photo: Anisur Rahman