Checking river pollution

According to media reports Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to take necessary steps for preventing river and pollution using the government’s power. With the rivers of the country severely polluted we have before us an environmental and public health crisis of devastating proportions. With relentless dumping of industrial effluents that are going into our rivers, we are suffering from a shortage of fresh water and dwindling of fish stocks; not to mention the serious health hazards posed to public health. Many rivers now sport pitch black water thanks to continuous dumping of untreated chemical waste from factories and industrial units located on their banks despite there being anti-pollution laws. This has been going on for decades with authorities turning a blind eye to the practice.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been mulling over a “green tax” to be imposed on polluting industries over the last few years. Yet, the system of paying this tax that was supposed to come into effect a few years back have gone nowhere.  A “green tax” would certainly wake up owners of polluting industries that they have to take responsibility for the environment. We hope that the government will take steps to safeguard public health and not merely count taxes collected from industry.  

Unsafe water supply and inadequate sanitation are responsible for substantial economic and human losses. Children are the most vulnerable to preventable water-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and polio; diarrhoeal diseases are the leading cause of infant and child deaths in the country.  

Population pressures and developmental imperatives have led to overexploitation of our rivers and groundwater, but poor planning and wilful neglect breaking the organic links between rivers, nature and people is no longer acceptable. Bangladesh may well be heading for a grave water crisis and remedial measures cannot be postponed.

Over the years the environmentalists and cross section of people are demanding of the government to save the rivers in the country as those are losing their depth at a faster pace and being occupied by land grabbers. Already, considerable damage has been caused to aquatic life. Industrial pollutants and all other wastes find their way into rivers, canals and water bodies under the very knowledge of the authorities concerned. This has resulted in destruction of aquatic plants, fishes and other living species. Clean water is a fundamental prerequisite for Bangladesh’s progress; no scheme to eradicate disease, ensure food and water security, improve livelihoods and boost the economy can succeed without a multidimensional policy to address environmental degradation, particularly the contamination of our most precious natural resource.

Checking river pollution

According to media reports Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan has asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to take necessary steps for preventing river and pollution using the governments power. With the rivers of the country severely polluted we have before us an environmental and public health crisis of devastating proportions. With relentless dumping of industrial effluents that are going into our rivers, we are suffering from a shortage of fresh water and dwindling of fish stocks; not to mention the serious health hazards posed to public health. Many rivers now sport pitch black water thanks to continuous dumping of untreated chemical waste from factories and industrial units located on their banks despite there being anti-pollution laws. This has been going on for decades with authorities turning a blind eye to the practice. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been mulling over a green tax to be imposed on polluting industries over the last few years. Yet, the system of paying this tax that was supposed to come into effect a few years back have gone nowhere. A green tax would certainly wake up owners of polluting industries that they have to take responsibility for the environment. We hope that the government will take steps to safeguard public health and not merely count taxes collected from industry. Unsafe water supply and inadequate sanitation are responsible for substantial economic and human losses. Children are the most vulnerable to preventable water-related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and polio; diarrhoeal diseases are the leading cause of infant and child deaths in the country. Population pressures and developmental imperatives have led to overexploitation of our rivers and groundwater, but poor planning and wilful neglect breaking the organic links between rivers, nature and people is no longer acceptable. Bangladesh may well be heading for a grave water crisis and remedial measures cannot be postponed. Over the years the environmentalists and cross section of people are demanding of the government to save the rivers in the country as those are losing their depth at a faster pace and being occupied by land grabbers. Already, considerable damage has been caused to aquatic life. Industrial pollutants and all other wastes find their way into rivers, canals and water bodies under the very knowledge of the authorities concerned. This has resulted in destruction of aquatic plants, fishes and other living species. Clean water is a fundamental prerequisite for Bangladeshs progress; no scheme to eradicate disease, ensure food and water security, improve livelihoods and boost the economy can succeed without a multidimensional policy to address environmental degradation, particularly the contamination of our most precious natural resource.