RAJSHAHI, Mar 11: Most rivers crisscrossing Rajshahi region have dried up. Now, Boro paddy is being cultivated on the dried beds of those rivers. As a result, the environmental balance of the region is badly affected. Also lives of people of the region are at stake.
It is learnt, all tributaries of the rivers Padma and the Mohananda flowing through Rajshahi region have almost dried up. Farmers were making profit by growing Boro paddy on those dried up river beds. But, on the other hand, thousands of people who earned their livelihood through fisheries, navigation or irrigation of river water, have become unemployed.
According to a report, rivers including Fokirny, Baranoi, Rani, Hira, Chhoto Jamuna and Kompon which are interconnected with the rivers across the border in India have dried up completely.
Of these rivers, Fakirni, Baranoi and Rani are also tributaries of the river Ganges (Padma) and Chhoto Jamuna is the tributary of river Mohananda.
Due to withdrawal of water through the Farakka barrage, those rivers have lost their navigability and now there is no water flow through those rivers at all. Due to scarcity of water, the rivers are dried up during September to June when farmers grow rice, wheat, jute, onion, garlic, chili and other crops.
On the other hand, every year during the rainy season, a lot of crops is damaged because of flood.
But in the recent past, a large number of boats used to move through those rivers. Businessmen used to carry various goods in various places of the country through those boats.
Akbar Ali, a farmer of Bhorotto village of Sonadanga Union Parishad under Bagmara upazila said he cultivated Boro paddy on three acres of land on the char on Hira river and got 75 to 80 maunds of paddy from each acre of land.
Professor Azharul Haque, Chairman of Sonadanga Union Parishad, Shamshuddin from Auchpara Union, Abdus Satter from Taherpur Union of the district and others informed, farmers were getting some profit by cultivating paddy on the dried up rivers but the rivers have lost their navigability and dried up damaging the environment badly.
They suggested that the rivers should be re-excavated to ensure availability of water there year round to bring back environmental balance, navigability and irrigation facilities for crops.
Tariqul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Bagmara informed, the rivers crossing through the upazila needed to be excavated to get back navigability as well as environmental balance.
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Most rivers dry up, environmental balance badly affected in Rajshahi
Our Correspondent | Published: March 12, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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