Crisis looms as rivers dying out

India’s river-linking project, dam construction may worsen situation, warn experts

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) estimate that some 1,300 small and large rivers once crisscrossed the country, but many of them have died out, thanks to the unplanned construction of embankments and culverts, encroachments, absence of dredging, poor or a lack of water flow, urbanisation, siltation, earthquakes, climate change and construction of barrages and dams upstream across the border by India.

Meanwhile, at least 117 rivers of Bangladesh have disappeared because of disruptions in their water flows in the upstream and unplanned construction of culverts, bridges and embankments in the country. Besides, land grabbers, too, are responsible for killing off the country’s rivers and canals, an expert said.

Many greedy land grabbers are competing to develop lands, filling up the rivers and other wetlands while flouting the laws of the country. A section of unscrupulous people, with the help of local leaders and influential groups, is engaged in grabbing land and riverbanks under the pretext of different development projects around the capital as well as across the country. As a result, the nation is now facing severe flash floods, droughts and severe untimely floods, the expert observed.

He also warned that if such a trend continues, it would be environmentally disastrous, and lead to water scarcity for the country in the near future.

He urged the government to take legal action against the land grabbers to protect the country’s wetlands in the national interest.

According to a survey by the Netherlands Engineering Consultants (NEDECO) of the Netherlands, carried out between 1965 and 1967, some 310 large and small rivers were flowing in Bangladesh. Of them, 117 have perished, but the existence of others is already under strain as a result of obstructions and withdrawal of water in their upper reaches. They will be greatly imperilled if the Indian government goes ahead with its river-linking project.

Dr Mominul Haque Sarker, deputy executive director of the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), told The Independent that many of the rivers will die and the ecological impact will be faced by the country as a result of the Indian river-linking project.

He said most portions of rivers like the Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up, thanks to the people’s irresponsibility and the government’s negligence towards the maintenance of the rivers. Again, some of the rivers have been affected, as Indian dams and embankments have been constructed in the upstream, he further said. “We gave an updated book on rivers to the BWDB at the end of 2011. In the book, it has been mentioned that there are some 405 rivers in the country. But we have no data on how many rivers have died so far,” Dr Sarker explained.

River expert Emdadul Haque, a former BIWTA director, said, “The BIWTA has a massive plan to restore navigation in about 193 rivers across the country. We cannot restore the rivers overnight, as it would take time.”

Many species of aquatic lives, including fishes, have disappeared from these rivers, he said.

Most of the rivers have died because of unplanned construction by the local government engineering department and construction of dams by the Indian authorities in the upstream, he alleged.

Paribesh Bachao Andolan chairman Abu Naser Khan told this correspondent, “Our neighbouring country is continuously constructing dams in the upstream. Recently, India has inaugurated the second largest dam in the world. If such river-linking projects are implemented by India, Bangladesh will turn into a desert within a few years.”

As China was withdrawing water from the Brahmaputra at the Tibet point, both India and Bangladesh will face scarcity of water, the green activist added.

“Bangladesh is moving towards an environmental disaster and serious ecological degradation. The nation will face a serious crisis of food security and economic growth as the rivers die out,” Khan pointed out. According to Khan, industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths. He demanded the government should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways. He further said unabated encroachment, which prevents the free flow of water, and the dumping of medical waste and the garbage of river passengers, have compounded the problem, making the water unusable for humans and livestock.

“We are determined to protect the country’s rivers. We have already taken up projects to restore 53 important river routes in the country,” BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq told this correspondent. Against this backdrop, Bangladesh is going to observe World Rivers Day today (Sunday). The theme this year is ‘Encroachment-pollution free rivers: Save life and nature’.

Bangladesh has been observing World Rivers Day since 2010. The day is observed on the last Sunday of September every year.

Crisis looms as rivers dying out

Indias river-linking project, dam construction may worsen situation, warn experts

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) estimate that some 1,300 small and large rivers once crisscrossed the country, but many of them have died out, thanks to the unplanned construction of embankments and culverts, encroachments, absence of dredging, poor or a lack of water flow, urbanisation, siltation, earthquakes, climate change and construction of barrages and dams upstream across the border by India. Meanwhile, at least 117 rivers of Bangladesh have disappeared because of disruptions in their water flows in the upstream and unplanned construction of culverts, bridges and embankments in the country. Besides, land grabbers, too, are responsible for killing off the countrys rivers and canals, an expert said. Many greedy land grabbers are competing to develop lands, filling up the rivers and other wetlands while flouting the laws of the country. A section of unscrupulous people, with the help of local leaders and influential groups, is engaged in grabbing land and riverbanks under the pretext of different development projects around the capital as well as across the country. As a result, the nation is now facing severe flash floods, droughts and severe untimely floods, the expert observed. He also warned that if such a trend continues, it would be environmentally disastrous, and lead to water scarcity for the country in the near future. He urged the government to take legal action against the land grabbers to protect the countrys wetlands in the national interest. According to a survey by the Netherlands Engineering Consultants (NEDECO) of the Netherlands, carried out between 1965 and 1967, some 310 large and small rivers were flowing in Bangladesh. Of them, 117 have perished, but the existence of others is already under strain as a result of obstructions and withdrawal of water in their upper reaches. They will be greatly imperilled if the Indian government goes ahead with its river-linking project. Dr Mominul Haque Sarker, deputy executive director of the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), told The Independent that many of the rivers will die and the ecological impact will be faced by the country as a result of the Indian river-linking project. He said most portions of rivers like the Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up, thanks to the peoples irresponsibility and the governments negligence towards the maintenance of the rivers. Again, some of the rivers have been affected, as Indian dams and embankments have been constructed in the upstream, he further said. We gave an updated book on rivers to the BWDB at the end of 2011. In the book, it has been mentioned that there are some 405 rivers in the country. But we have no data on how many rivers have died so far, Dr Sarker explained. River expert Emdadul Haque, a former BIWTA director, said, The BIWTA has a massive plan to restore navigation in about 193 rivers across the country. We cannot restore the rivers overnight, as it would take time. Many species of aquatic lives, including fishes, have disappeared from these rivers, he said. Most of the rivers have died because of unplanned construction by the local government engineering department and construction of dams by the Indian authorities in the upstream, he alleged. Paribesh Bachao Andolan chairman Abu Naser Khan told this correspondent, Our neighbouring country is continuously constructing dams in the upstream. Recently, India has inaugurated the second largest dam in the world. If such river-linking projects are implemented by India, Bangladesh will turn into a desert within a few years. As China was withdrawing water from the Brahmaputra at the Tibet point, both India and Bangladesh will face scarcity of water, the green activist added. Bangladesh is moving towards an environmental disaster and serious ecological degradation. The nation will face a serious crisis of food security and economic growth as the rivers die out, Khan pointed out. According to Khan, industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths. He demanded the government should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways. He further said unabated encroachment, which prevents the free flow of water, and the dumping of medical waste and the garbage of river passengers, have compounded the problem, making the water unusable for humans and livestock. We are determined to protect the countrys rivers. We have already taken up projects to restore 53 important river routes in the country, BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq told this correspondent. Against this backdrop, Bangladesh is going to observe World Rivers Day today (Sunday). The theme this year is Encroachment-pollution free rivers: Save life and nature. Bangladesh has been observing World Rivers Day since 2010. The day is observed on the last Sunday of September every year.