Analyzing the Geographical Narrative of Bholagonj Ropeway Area, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Abstract

Sylhet, being a natural basin/bio-filter for Bangladesh absorbs a vast amount of rainwater coming forth from the mighty hills of the Meghalaya and Cherapunjii for which, the basin geography of Sylhet is a complex ecology of stones, land, and water where interruption of one element has a huge implication on the greater geology of Sylhet. Bholagonj (a remote rural/transitioning area) stands on a foothill area of Meghalaya on the bank of a river, Dholai, which carries a vast amount of white sandstones which get deposited within the river landscape but is exposed to the human eye in the Bholagonj Shada Pathor tourist point, making it one of the 3 most desired tourist destination of Sylhet along with Jaflong and Bisnakandi. (Making a stone reserve of approximately 90.106 tons according to the Geological Survey of Bangladesh). Because of the geographical condition, Natural and riparian ecological system, Bholagonj is not only abundant in stone and water but also in biodiversity as in this place the mountains meet the wetland. With the aid of magnificent natural beauty and choreographed landscape, the area has been being celebrated by native nature worshippers as well as tourists which completely resonates with the present government’s vision of creating sustainable tourism economies not only to safeguard the ecologically sensitive landscapes of Sylhet but also to create an income generating opportunities for the indigenous Sylhet people who thrive on farming, boating, and fishing. But like many other tourist spots of Sylhet, Bholagonj is also currently facing the threat of illegal stone-mining and stone-crushing within the Government declared tourist area of 600acres as this area is an earth quack-prone zone and also lies extremely close to the Trans boundary River Dholai. Stones are being illegally mined here (800tons/per day) because of the availability of high-quality boulder stones required for concrete production. This impacts all the government investments from Transit service and facilities for tourists to the investment in establishing Mega Eco-park in Bholagonj at stake. As a result, the government declared tourist area has now become an industrial brownfield filled with stone-crushing yards, surface parking, and illegal structures spread haphazardly over the soft, sensitive flood shed of the Dholai River. A trans-boundary river edge, which should be considered with soft interventions, has now become a wounded landscape with brutal scars of industrialization deeply affecting the Dholai river ecosystem and surrounding communities. The biggest missing piece lies here is that all the infrastructural intervention, as well as the river Dholai which flows by Bholagonj, are being treated as mere services but not as resources which can create a huge opportunity for Bholagonj and its landscape revival. The research/paper aims to expose the true geographical narrative of Bholagonj through the geological, historical, hydrological, infrastructural, and socio-economical lens to give better visibility to the neglected issue of illegal stone mining and its lethal impact on the local geological and hydrological system of Bholagonj/Dholai River. The paper proposes policies and possible interventions to revitalize this critical geological site through soft, mild, acupunctural yet effective possibilities.