Much like the arteries and veins of the human body that carry essential blood to and from the heart, Bangladesh was once blessed with numerous rivers and canals that sustained the life of the nation, but not anymore. To say the country's rivers are dying is a gross understatement. It is much worse. Most of the rivers are already dead and those still alive will soon disappear if action is not taken to protect them from onslaught of pollution, siltation and encroachment.
Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said: "this generation, which waged the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has never seen a single pollution-free river in Bangladesh," and she wants to change that.
The adviser plans to begin the clean-up drive by targeting one river in each division of the country, getting the job done properly and preparing a blueprint for future governments to follow. Turning wastelands with toxic, pitch-black, repulsive smelling water into placid rivers that poets write about would be of untold benefit.
To address this problem the authorities need to take effective steps in preventing river pollution - a major problem. Most of the rivers are perceived to be dumping grounds for domestic and industrial waste - nature's waste disposal services. Little or no thought is given to the fact that our very existence is threatened if these rivers cease to exist. Environmentalists have been warning and trying to educate the people to prevent such catastrophe. The media, civil service organisations, and all conscious citizens, including politicians, have supported the stance to keep the rivers flowing. But pollution of rivers still continues unabated. Mills and factories - established along riverbanks - have for decades been using them callously as dumping grounds. Before the factory is even built, the riverbank location is viewed as a cost-saving advantage for waste disposal.
The Buriganga River, for example, has been a hapless victim of pollution from industrial waste, plastics, medical waste, and sewage for decades. To reduce Buriganga's pollution emissions Hazaribagh tanneries were relocated to Savar. Now the Dhaleswari River is being polluted by dumping untreated industrial wastewater, as the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) of Savar Tannery Industrial complex remains ineffective. The company, operating the plant, admitted that the CETP had failed in treating waste according to projections, because of structural faults from the very beginning. This needs to be rectified.
Additionally, the government must ensure that all polluting industries have properly installed and functioning ETPs. Polluting rivers to maximise profits is intolerable. Rivers and canals are the lifeblood of Bangladesh, and their protection must always be a top priority. Companies come and go, but there is only one Bangladesh and its rivers are its lifeline.
The challenge, however, extends beyond industrial waste. A significant contributor to the pollution of rivers and canals in and around Dhaka is black water contamination, primarily caused by untreated or inadequately treated sewage. This form of pollution, resulting from the direct discharge of human waste into water bodies, poses a serious threat to both public health and the environment.
Without adequate sewage treatment infrastructure, large volumes of harmful bacteria and chemicals enter the water systems, further degrading the quality of these vital resources. While this government's short tenure may not allow for immediate solutions, developing a comprehensive plan to address this issue should be prioritised.
Another problem that surfaces from time to time is the theft in broad daylight of rivers and canals by those with political clout. Many of the rivers and canals have been unlawfully seized, squeezed thin, and factories, homes and other structures built on their banks.
Despite clear directives from the High Court to demolish the illegal structures and evict river encroachers, efforts by the government to free rivers has only had minimal success. Not only are rivers affected, but many canals in cities have also been wiped off the map. Worse still, despite lists of river grabbers and polluters being compiled, the previous government failed to take action. In some cases, the offenders were government bodies themselves, encroaching on river land to construct structures, while others exploited their political connections for similar purposes. Clearly, the rivers cannot be saved if we fail to stop all such illegal activities. The interim government that has no political affiliations whatsoever but a mandate from the people to reform different state of affairs should do whatever necessary to restore the rivers to its original form. There is no difference between land grabbing and corruption. It is still theft and equally abhorrent.
Countries throughout the world are taking every precaution and making special efforts to protect and ensure clean water resources. Bangladesh with its population of 170-million - each individual depending on water - cannot afford to allow its rivers and canals to die because of the greed of the land grabbers. Polluted, silted, and 'strangulated' rivers are pushing us towards an environmental disaster of great magnitude and it must stop. The interim government faces a difficult challenge but if this initiative succeeds - and it must succeed - it will not only restore the ecosystems to how they should be but also instill hope in the people that change is possible even in the face of overwhelming challenges.
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