RAJSHAHI, Aug 21: After 30 years, the Boral river is flowing once again with its full vigour and turbulence since all encroachments and dams put upon the river were removed.
The 220-km long river flowing through ten upazilas of Rajshahi, Pabna, Natore and Rajshahi districts was, in fact, a dead river for the last three decades due to man-made encumbrances.
It is learnt, the Boral river turned into a narrow canal by the encroachers and influentials. The river was leased out at first in 1981 to local influential political leaders. During the same year, the Water Development Board (WDB) constructed two sluice gates in Charghat of Rajshahi and Bhangura of Pabna district resulting in stoppage of normal flow of water through the river. Later on, four more cross-dams were constructed on four points of Charghat.
By fragmenting the river in separate cells, the department concerned leased out the river as 'water body' to the pisciculturists. As a result, the movement and breeding of indigenous varieties of riverine fish completely vanished from the river. The water of the river became unfit for household use due to indiscriminate use of insecticides, fertiliser and fish-feed in water.
Due to the leasing of the river, fishermen and common people lost their right to catch fish freely throughout the river. Even, the lease owners did not allow people living beside the river to take a bath or to irrigate the water in their land. In fact, the lessees became the de-facto owners of the river.
The water level of the river started to recede continually due to the non-entrance of water from the river Padma during the rainy season. Especially, during the dry season, the crisis of water turned acute. Most parts of the riverbed turned to cultivable land. People living in surrounding villages of the river started to protest by watching such pitiable condition of the river. They started the movement from 2008 under the banner 'Boral Raskha Movement'. The local people, as well as environmentalists, filed a writ petition at the High Court demanding the removal of sluice gates and removal of the cross-dams to ensure the free flow of river water. The High Court ordered to remove all encumbrances from the river. As a result, three bridges were constructed by removing sluice gates and cross dams and leasing of the river was cancelled. The river was filled with some water but due to not cleaning the water, herbs and shrubs and water-hyacinth filled the river surface soon after passing the order because there was no one to take care to ensure free flow of water.
However, people living beside the river were expecting the strong current of water would float away water hyacinth and garbage of the riverbed during this rainy season.
Another section of people, however, opined the water hyacinth should be cleared and removed from the river bed otherwise, the free flow of water through the river would be impossible.
People of the area are expecting that the local administration, as well as public representatives, would take planned action to rejuvenate free flow of water of Boral river.
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