Seven rivers in Magura losing navigability

FE Team | Published: June 30, 2024 21:47:51

OUR CORRESPONDENT
MAGURA, June 30: Once running forcefully, seven rivers in Magura district are now losing navigability for various reasons, especially lack of dredging.
Even the water bodies have turned into croplands in some places, depriving the people, businesses and industries of the region of their benefits.
In the past, launches, steamers and cargo vessels used to ply these rivers in full gear coming to the exact need of the local residents as well as merchants from far and near.
People of the region used to travel across these rivers as a common means of communication and for transporting goods for trade and commerce.
But with the passage of time, the rivers have run dry- somewhere largely and somewhere partially- for scarce water flow and in the dry portions of their beds there have grown grass and plants making them almost pasture-like fields.
Water Development Board, Magura office sources said seven rivers flow through the district- namely the Nabaganga, Kumar, Chitra, Madhumati, Gorai, Fatki and Muchikhali.
But in absence of rainfall and lack of dredging the rivers have become almost waterless in many places. The dry portions of the rivers are being used for crop farming.
For the poor navigability in the rivers, the fisherman community in the district is passing a hard time as regards their livelihood.
Shatish Majhi, a fisherman of Nanduali village in Magura Sadar upazila, said, "In the past, we caught fish from the Nabaganga River to maintain our livelihood. But as the river has turned into a cropland how could we collect fish from there. Now we are fighting for survival. In the meantime, a good number of fishermen have left this profession."
Naim Reza, a farmer of Tengakhali village in Magura sadar upazila, said, "Earlier we used river water to irrigate our croplands. But now we are to lift underground water to irrigate our crop fields for want of water in the river."
"It costs us a lot and causes much trouble as underground water level has fallen sharply due to extreme drought," he added.
When contacted, Bangladesh Environmental Movement, Magura district unit general secretary ATM Anishur Rahman said the rivers in the district have turned into plane land for want of water causing a negative impact on the environment. In this situation, biodiversity is also facing extreme threat.
Water Development Board, Magura executive engineer Sarwar Jahan Shujan said rivers in the district have lost their normal life.
"In the meantime, we have written to the higher authority seeking fund allocation to dredge the rivers. If the rivers are dredged properly, hopefully they will get back navigability," he added.
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