BANGLADESH - Inhabitants of the country's southwestern coastal region yesterday demanded that the government stop unplanned shrimp cultivation in the area to halt the illegal entrance of saline water into the region's natural water sources.

According to The Daily Star, they also urged the government not to lease out the region's water sources, especially ponds and canals.

Many people take such water bodies on lease in the name of paddy cultivation and use them for shrimp cultivation, thus violating the government condition that allows the lease out only for paddy cultivation, they said.

Some people, representing the dwellers of the different upazilas and districts in the southwestern region, made these remarks at a press conference titled 'Aggression of saline water vs the struggle for green economy' organised by Barcik, a non-government organisation, at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

They said unplanned shrimp cultivation in the region has resulted in an increase in the salinity of the water sources here, thus reducing the availability of drinking water sources and hampering crop cultivation through damaging the fertility of the land and reducing availability of fresh water for irrigation.

Barcik Coordinator Syed Ali Biswas also called for controlling extensive prawn cultivation in the region.