The government has declared the Halda River, a natural breeding ground for carp and home to the endangered Gangetic dolphin, as a “Fish Heritage” site. According to the gazette, the 94km-long Halda River flows through the Upazilas of Ramgarh and Manikchari in Khagrachhari district, and Fatikchhari, Raozan, Hathazari and the city’s Panchlaish in Chattogram district. • No new rubber or concrete dams can be built on the Halda River or its connected canals. • Establishing new water treatment plants or irrigation projects to extract river water requires prior approval from the Halda River Fish Heritage Monitoring Committee. • Domestic or foreign research involving the river’s water, fish, or biodiversity cannot be conducted without the committee’s approval.
