Some 112 tonnes of waste mostly plastic and polythene bags are being dumped four rivers- Buriganga, Shitalakha, Balu and Turag on daily basis causing an immense adverse impact on the environment, thanks to the reluctance of the authorities concerned.
Encroachment by the influential on the banks of the rivers is going on unabatedly despite directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the High Court to keep those protect.
Piling of sand lifted from the rivers, setting up truck stands and other business establishments have been occupying the banks of the rivers while a good portion of lands of the rivers could not be recovered from the clutches of the encroachers due to a snail pace speed of the drives.
Besides, badly harmful water of the industrial factories has been getting their path to the rivers along with the human waste as earlier.
Though the water of the rivers-Turag, Buriganga and Balu is seen clear, people passing the rivers have to use handkerchief to get remedy of the bad odours.
On the other hand, pollution of the river Shitalakha is increasing with having clear water, it was found by this correspondent visiting different spots of the rivers for the past three days.
It may be mentioned, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in drives evicted some 7000 illegal structures developed on the banks of the rivers form the wake of 2019 to 2021.
Though the BIWTA formed ‘River Guard’ battalion on trial basis to check encroachment, most of freed lands were further occupied by the influential from Gabtoli to Sinnirtek area.
Two truck stands were found in Palpara and Diyabari Kaoundia ghat areas while 10 to 12 sand piles from the Diyabari to Chotbari.
Besides, a good number of business structures were set up from Chotbari to Ashuliya and a road on the land of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) was also developed to go those establishments.
Each and every river surrounding the mega city Dhaka has been getting polluted and encroached due to lack of vigilance, experts opined.
In a survey on ‘Towards the Multisectoral Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management in Bangladesh’ conducted by World Bank and Department of Environment, Bangladesh from November, 2019 to November 2020, found that some 112 tonnes of waste is dumped the rivers daily.
However it is a sigh of news, the government took a mega project to increase beautification on the both sides of the four rivers.
Under the project, different development works including setting up permanent pillars, walkway, RCC stairs, sitting bench, jetty, Eco park, boundary wall and water drainage system have been going on at a cost of Tk 1200 crore.
Contacted, River Conservation Project Director Shahnewaz Kabir Mithu told this newspaper that some structures can’t be removed due to legal complexity; however those will be evicted after dismissal of the problems.
Asked about the further encroachment of areas adjacent to the Ashuliya, he said they freed the spot for development of a dam by the BWDB.
The encroachers claimed to have leased out the spots from the BWDB.
“At an inter-ministry meeting last month, it was decided to conduct joint drive to free the occupied lands on the banks of the rivers,” he added.
@the news was published in print and online versions on the Bangaladesh Pratidin on September 20 and rewritten by Salamat in English.
