Green activists at a discussion here yesterday warned that Dhaka would be an abandoned city in the future unless immediate steps are taken to check ongoing rampant water pollution and river-grabbing around the capital, reports UNB. Apart from river grabbing, they said untreated chemical and solid wastes have been dumped in the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakshya Rivers, destroying the ecosystem of the rivers. Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), a voluntary environmental organisation, arranged the discussion at its city office on the occasion of World Water Day today. Chaired by Poba chairman Abu Naser Khan, the discussion was addressed, among others, by Poba executive general secretary Engr Abdus Subhan, its executive member Engr Tofail Ahmed, coordinator Atiq Morshed and Modern Club president Abul Hasnat. Citing findings of a recent test, Engr Abdus Subhan said dissolved oxygen (DO) in the waters of Dhaka surrounding Buriganga, Balu, Turag and Shitalakhya Rivers is down to almost zero level during this dry season, posing a severe threat to aquatic life. If the DO is found 5 ppm (parts per million) in water it is useable for aquaculture, irrigation and household and industrial use, he said.
Abu Naser Khan said about 22,000 cubic metres of untreated toxic waste from tanneries in the city’s Hazaribagh is released into the Buriganga River daily. If the trend of water pollution continues, he said, Dhaka will turn into an unlivable city within next the 20 years for lack of freshwater. Meanwhile, experts at a discussion yesterday stressed making adequate budgetary allocation for ensuring safe water for all. They said although about 98 percent rural people have access to water, 20 percent of them still use arsenic-contaminated water. Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP), a non-government organisation, arranged the discussion at the Daily Star seminar hall  in the capital on the eve of the World Water Day. Reading out the keynote paper, DORP development researcher Mohammad Zobaer Hasan said the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 has given special emphasis on protection of sweet water sources like ponds and wetlands.