Town gets lively with water lilies

Tourists are thronging an abandoned canal and a pond in the town's Kalyanpur area where thousands of bright red water lilies have blossomed.

The Chapainawabganj Horticulture Centre took the initiative of planting the water lilies in the waterbodies -- a half-kilometre long canal and a pond on two bighas of land -- that used to emit foul smell due to indiscriminate dumping of garbage.

Scientists at the horticulture centre said wild water lilies grow naturally in the country's low-lying areas such as marshlands and ponds, but many of its varieties have gone extinct due to commercial fish cultivation there.

Utilising abandoned waterbodies to plant water lilies might protect some of their varieties, they also said.

Abdul Alim, a resident of the town and a twelfth grader at Chapainawabganj Technical School and College, was visiting the site with his friends. He said last time he visited the place, there were bushes all around and one had to remain wary of snakes. 

But now, as the blossomed water lilies has changed the atmosphere entirely, they visit the place often, he added.

College teacher Rawshan Ara, from Char Jotprotap area in the town, said without any recreational facility or park to visit in the town, she frequently brings her daughter to the place to enjoy the sight of the blossomed red water lilies.

Chapainawabganj Horticulture Centre Deputy Director Mozdar Hossain said they collected rhizomes of water lily from different areas of Pabna, Natore, Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj and planted those in the abandoned canal and the pond in the town.

Located in front of the horticulture centre, the waterbodies had turned into dumpsite and became a source of putrid smell.

After planting the water lilies, the abandoned waterbodies are not only attracting visitors, but many species of birds as well, he also said.