Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater
swamp forest in Sylhet, Bangladesh, near the Gowain River, Fatehpur Union,
Gowainghat. It is Bangladesh's sole swamp forest, as well as one of the world's
rare freshwater swamp forests. The forest is protected by the Government of
Bangladesh's Department of Forestry.
It has a total size of 3, 325.61
acres, including 504 acres designated as an animal sanctuary in 2015. It is
known as Sylhet's Sundarbans. This is Bangladesh's only swamp forest, located
26 kilometers from Sylhet. The name of the forest stems from the word
"Rata" or "Pati" tree, which is used by Sylhet residents.
The evergreen forest is located along
the river Goain and is connected to the Chengir Khal channel. The Dalbergia
reniformis is the most common tree found here. During the rainy season, the
forest is drowned in 20–30 feet of water. The water level is roughly 10 feet
deep throughout the rest of the year. Ratargul is also known as Sulhet's
Sundarban.
Sylhet is roughly 26 kilometers from
Ratargul. The forest department manages a 3,325-acre wetland in Sylhet range-2,
with Ratargul swamp forest covering roughly 504 acres. It may be found in
Gowainghat. Tourists reserve a local engine boat to enter the jungle after
arriving in Gowainghat. In the south part of the forest, there are two haors:
Shimul Bil Haor and Neoa Bil Haor.
Until present, 73 plant species have
been discovered in the forest. The canopy of the trees covers 80 percent of the
forest area. In the swamp forest, there are two layers of flora. The upper
layer is made up of trees, while the lowest layer is made up of dense Schumannianthus
dichotomus. The canopy of the plants reaches a height of 15 meters.
Despite the fact that the forest is
natural, the Bangladesh Forestry Department has planted watery plants such as
Calamus tenuis, Neolamarckia cadamba, Barringtonia acutangula, and Calamus
tenuis. In the forest, the Banyan Tree is fairly common. Barringtonia
acutangula, Dalbergia reniformis, Crateva religiosa or Hygrophila (plant), and
Alstonia scholaris are among the other plants that can be found.
Snakes and worm snakes can be found
in abundance in this waterlogged woodland. During the dry season, mongoose can
be seen. The woodland is also home to Monkeys and Water Monitors. Some of the
swamp forest's birds include the heron, egret, kingfisher, parrot, bulbbul,
swan, dove, water fowl, eagle, and kite bird. In the winter, the Cotton Pygmy
Goose, as well as other migratory birds and vultures, visit the woodland.
Batasio, Rita, Pabda, Rohu, and other indigenous fishes can be found in the
forest.
During the monsoon, Asian
Destinations Readers can visit the
forest. To visit the forest, one must first obtain authorization from the
forest office. To travel across the swamp forest, you'll need to hire a local
boat. Within the forest, there is a construction tower. If you get to the top,
you can see the entire forest.
Sylhet is around 18.7 kilometers
away. You can travel to Saklutikor road by bus or CNG car rickshaw. To get
there, take a rickshaw.
From Dhaka, three modes of
transportation are available to Sylhet. You can arrive via bus, train, or
plane.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratargul_Swamp_Forest
http://offroadbangladesh.com/places/ratargul-swamp-forest/
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