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Rohingyas face shortage of fire materials

Social forestry being destroyed

Published : Sunday, 15 October, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 241
Farhad Iqbal
COX'S BAZAR, Oct 14: The lakhs of Rohingyas who took shelter in Ukhia and Teknaf upazilas in the district built new sheds for themselves. But they are facing acute shortage of fire materials.
So the Rohingyas are moving towards forest to collect wood. As a result, the social forestry is being destroyed day by day, and the wild animals are also being lost.
After a recent spot visit, the correspondent found that the Rohingya camps were built in the forest areas of Noyapara of Teknaf, Raikhang of Whaikhang, Kutupalang of Ukhia, Thaingkhali, Balukhali and Palangkhali.
Once upon a time, the hills of Teknaf and Ukhia were filled with big trees like Garjan, Shegun, and Barry. Besides, the presence of elephant, monkey, deer and wild cock was vibrant. But the forest resources are being destroyed  as the Rohingyas started to live in Teknaf and Ukhia in 1991-92.
The Rohingya influx started again in August 2017 as the Myanmar army began atrocities on them, and they took shelter near hillside, so the forestry is facing destruction.
The Rohingya people meet their demand of fire materials after collecting wood from the hills in Noyapara, Raikhang, Palangkhali, Thaingkhali, and Kutupalang Rohingya camps. Government and the beneficiaries built the forestry based on joint ownership.
The Rohingyas are cutting trees everyday for meeting their demand of making sheds and fire materials. The locals also started business of fire wood with the Rohingyas.
But many families neither can buy fire wood for want of money nor they can go to the hills to collect fire wood. Specially, the families who have no male members, cannot cook food; so they are suffering a lot.
Mohammad Tahen Naim, a beneficiary of Raikang Social Forest, said as the Rohingyas are moving towards social forest to get rid of the crisis of fire materials, it will not be easy to save forest if the authority concerned does not come forward.
Beneficiary and Teknaf upazila Awami League leader Azizul Haque said the Rohingyas are using wood as fire material. If the government does not take initiatives, the possibilities of deforestation are high.
Mohammad Alam, 30, a Rohingya who took shelter in Raikhang Camp, said they are facing the crisis of fire wood. They cannot cook food. Locals intercept them in collecting wood from hills.
Marium Begum, 35, wife of Syed Akbar, said she bought a bundle of fire wood with Tk 100; She is trying to cook with the fire wood. She said "I never thought of coming to the country; we came to the country to save lives from Myanmar army. If normalcy comes back to our country, we will off course return to our home. If normalcy does not come, we'ill not return rather we would like to die here".
Minara Begum, 32, wife of Sirajullah, said she came to Raikhang Camp on September 3 with her husband and nine children; sahe already got rice, chilli and turmeric powder, pulse, salt, ginger, sugar, milk, onion, garlic, bucket, bowl, tripal, mosquito net, dry fish, flour, potato and cloths; but she cannot cook for want of fire wood.
She also said her two sons went to hills to collect fire wood. She will cook rice after their return, there is no other option. She used old cloths as fire materials several times.
Thousands of families are suffering in fire wood crisis; they fell in problem with their small babies, she added.
The locals opined that if the authority concerned does not think alternative option, the forest resources will decline.
Forest Preservation Officer of Ukhia and Teknaf Dewan Azad said the temporary camps have been built in 3,273 acres of forest land. They will not stay there permanently. They will be shifted to Kutupalang, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's direction.





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