50 obstructions to be removed
Restoration of River Boral
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
The moribund Boral river, vital to the vast wetland of Chalan Beel, is getting a fresh lease of life with removal of 50 obstructions including sluice gates, culverts and bunds. The Shipping Ministry, acting upon the longstanding demand of people in 15 upazilas of Natore, Rajshahi, Pabna and Sirajganj districts, has directed that flow of the Boral be increased.
Residents of these upazilas have been demanding for long removal of sluice gates and other obstacles impeding free flow of the Boral to save marine ecology, farming and fisheries. There are over 50 obstacles in the Boral that are impeding its flow. We want to increase the flow by abolishing some sluice gates that were constructed by the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan told The Independent. A decision has been taken to abolish LGED bunds, BWDB dams at Mathura-Doharpara and Nandapuja-Boral link canal and BWDB sluice gates at Bagati Para and Charghat; he informed. If needed, some large bridges will be constructed over the Boral after demolition of dams and sluice gates; he added.
Shajahan also urged the BWDB to keep their sluice gates open round-the-clock to save the rivers ecology and environment. He said unplanned embankments and sluice gates, constructed between 1982 and 1984, along a 120 km stretch of the Boral from Charghat to Nurnagar of Chatmohar are obstructing the rivers natural flow, causing slow death of the Boral and wetlands around it. Local administration has leased nearly 107 acre land from Mora Boral among 1,200 people. We have directed the concerned Deputy Commissioners to cancel the lease in phases to restore the river through dredging, said the Shipping Minister. Projects will be taken up for beautification including setting up of eco-parks and forestation alongside the Boral; he added.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andolan Abu Naser Khan told this correspondent that the Chalan Beel, which was once filled with water, has practically dried up owing to unplanned construction of embankments and sluice gates. He welcomed the government decision and said, We want to see implementation of the government decision to save the Boral. It is our longstanding demand.
Former Mayor of Charghat Municipality Zakirul Islam said that in 1978, former President Ziaur Rahman had instructed local authorities to construct a bridge on the Boral. But some BWDB officials, instead of constructing any such bridge, put up dams and sluice gates on the river without taking into account their environmental impact.
Zakirul recalled that before the building of such sluice gates, local farmers used to produce large volumes of rice and other crops.
It is learnt that an inter-ministerial meeting on the Boral was held at the Shipping Ministry with Shajahan in the chair.
Among others, State Minister for Water Resources Nazrul Islam, State Minister for Land Syfuzzaman Chowdhury, Shipping Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehdi, Chairman of the National River Commission Ataharul Islam, BIWTA Chairman Commodore M. Mozammel Huq and officials from concerned departments attended the meeting.
