Encroachment, unplanned projects put Jessore rivers in death throes

JESSORE, Aug 9 (UNB): The rivers in Jessore district are in a moribund state as their flows have fallen drastically for widespread encroachment by land grabbers and unplanned government development projects.
Sources concerned said though official records put the number of rivers in the district at 36, existence of two dozen could not be found.
Many rivers have disappeared from the map of the district.
Among the live rivers are Kobadak, Bhairav, Mathabhanga, Kumar, Naboganga, Ichhamati, Betrabatri, Harihor, Mukteshwari and Chitra.
But the rivers have shrunk to either narrow canals or large drains due to encroachment on their areas and unplanned river training.
Illegal business establishments have sprung up on both sides of many of them.
Locals said the river Bhairav flowing through the district town has now dried up with drastic fall in its water flow.
Strolling down memory lane, they said once water vessels used to ply the river stretching over 150 kilometres area.
The river originating from the river Mathabhanga in Meherpur district passes through Damurhuda, Chuadanga, Kotchandpur, Chowgachha, Jessore, Basundia, Phultola, Daulatpur and Khulna.
Educationist Prof Afsar Ali, convener of Bhairav Bachao Andolan (movement to save the river Bhairav), said the once profusely flowing river is now on the verge of death due to rampant use of its bed for cultivating crops and grabbing of its large areas.
He blamed a section of government officials for encouraging grabbing of river lands, saying that corrupt administrative officials lease out river lands on long-term basis to grabbers creating legal complexities in reclaiming those.
MR Khairul Umam, former president of Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB), Jessore, said the government has killed rivers in the name of river training, adding that bridges were constructed over many rivers in the district under unplanned development projects.
He mentioned that different government agencies including Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Local Government Engineering Department constructed small culvert-sized bridges over the rivers shrinking them to narrow canals.
River experts said dredging works that began in the Kobadak river to bring back its navigability will not bring any benefit if effective discussion with India is not held over due share of water.
During a field visit, the UNB correspondent found that land grabbers erected numerous structures, including dwelling houses and fish enclosures, on both the banks of the river from Khayertola in the district town to Basundia area.