Protecting rivers

Industrial waste household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths

The World Rivers Day was observed in Bangladesh yesterday amid some disturbing realities. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, 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.

As lungs in human body play a dominant role in the act of respiration, so do the rivers and canals play a vital role in protecting country’s environment, flora and fauna, bio-diversity and ecological balance. Rivers and other water bodies are the repositories of fishes that meet the nutritional demand of the people of the country. But the fish and other resources of these water bodies are declining fast. Grabbing of wetlands by a section of influential people is contributing to the shrinkage of the wetlands.     

It is worrying to note that 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. Many rivers are gasping for their existence. No concrete measures have been taken to protect the rivers in the country. Unplanned and uncoordinated urbanisation has taken its toll on the rivers, other water bodies and fish resources in the country. This is a blow to the country’s economy. River pollution is another menace that is wreaking havoc. Industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths.

It is painful to note that the rivers like Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up due to the people’s irresponsibility and the government’s negligence towards the maintenance of the rivers. Many species of aquatic lives, including fishes, have disappeared from these rivers. Besides, some of the rivers have been affected, as Indian dams and embankments have been constructed in the upstream.

It is high time for the government to take legal action against the land grabbers to protect the country’s rivers and water bodies in the national interest. The authority should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways.   

Protecting rivers

Industrial waste household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths

The World Rivers Day was observed in Bangladesh yesterday amid some disturbing realities. According to a report of this newspaper yesterday, 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. As lungs in human body play a dominant role in the act of respiration, so do the rivers and canals play a vital role in protecting countrys environment, flora and fauna, bio-diversity and ecological balance. Rivers and other water bodies are the repositories of fishes that meet the nutritional demand of the people of the country. But the fish and other resources of these water bodies are declining fast. Grabbing of wetlands by a section of influential people is contributing to the shrinkage of the wetlands. It is worrying to note that 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. Many rivers are gasping for their existence. No concrete measures have been taken to protect the rivers in the country. Unplanned and uncoordinated urbanisation has taken its toll on the rivers, other water bodies and fish resources in the country. This is a blow to the countrys economy. River pollution is another menace that is wreaking havoc. Industrial waste, household garbage and the refuse of ships are being dumped directly into rivers, which are accelerating their deaths. It is painful to note that the rivers like Padma, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Dhaleswari, Sandhya and Bangalee have already dried up due to the peoples irresponsibility and the governments negligence towards the maintenance of the rivers. Many species of aquatic lives, including fishes, have disappeared from these rivers. Besides, some of the rivers have been affected, as Indian dams and embankments have been constructed in the upstream. It is high time for the government to take legal action against the land grabbers to protect the countrys rivers and water bodies in the national interest. The authority should ensure that the rivers are fully dredged, illegal encroachments on them ended and the laws strictly enforced to prevent abuse of waterways.