Manikganj rivers losing navigability

MANIKGANJ, Mar 29: The most of the rivers of Manikganj district have lost their navigability due to continuous siltation and grabbing, affecting the tradition, life-style and livelihood of local people.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board said once the length of the local rivers was about 241 kilometres, but the span of these rivers is rapidly declined in recent years. People living on the banks of the rivers have already built houses on chars of rivers and haat-bazaars were also set up there.
The two major rivers - Jamuna and Padma - are flowing through the west and south sides of the district, which are now facing poor navigability during the dry season as a number of chars have emerged on the beds of the rivers.
Besides, there are nine rivers, which are flowing through the district, are Kaliganga, Dhaleshwari, Eachhamoti, Kantaboti, Bhuboneshwar, Khirai, Monolokhani, Manda and Gazikhali. All the rivers are now dying for lack of water flow.
Dhaleswari River was originated from the Jamuna River, and flowing 60 km in Manikganj through Ghior, Saturia and Singair upazilas, it joins Buriganga River. Now, most parts of this river are disappeared, the officials said.
During the rainy season, a little flow is found there. But, they said, Kantaboti, Monolokhani, Manda and Khirai rivers are disappeared today.
Echhamoti another longest river of the district has lost its navigability and existence in many places.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has taken up dredging projects to restore the Hazratpur-Zabra, Char Tekerhat-Shibchar and Khulna-Noapara river routes at a cost of Tk 978.2 million, BIWTA Superintendent Engineer Saidur Rahman told the news agency.
He said the dredging would restore the river routes and the restoration of these river routes would help increase agricultural production in many areas and farmers would be able to irrigate their fields with the water from these rivers.