River Karnaphuli dying due to mindless encroachments
Sunday, 7 June 2009
The river Karnaphuli, considered as the lifeline to business activities for both the hill people and the flatlanders in the country's far east region, is dying due to mindless encroachment, dumping of industrial and clinical wastes, and lack of maintenance, reports UNB.
Encroachment of the riverbanks, unabated dumping of industrial, clinical and human wastes, unplanned fishing, unchecked oil spill from oceangoing vessels and mechanised boats have severely polluted the river.
"The river has been desecrated. What is flowing there is mainly sewage and polluted water. Increasing toxicity caused by industrial wastes has destroyed the natural purity of the river water," said Marine researcher Prof Noman Ahmed Siddiqi.
Monjurul Kibria, Assistant Prof of Zoology department of Chittagong Govt College who conducted a two-month study on the river, said 15 to 20 fresh water fish species, 10 to 15 brackish water (mixed fresh and saline water) fish species and 5 to 6 fish species of migratory water disappeared from the river over the years due to severe pollution of the river's water.
"Many known species of marine fishes have already disappeared from the estuary of the Karnaphuli and others might go extinct soon if the abodes of aquatic creatures are not protected by reviving the water quality," Prof Kibria told the news agency.
In 1976, Marine researcher Prof Latif Bhuiyan in his research findings had revealed that at least 76 species of fish used to be found in the river Karnaphuli.
Later in 2000, Prof Kamal conducted another study and found only 54 species of fish in the river while 22 species, including Faissha, Kachki, Rupchanda, Kalichanda, Pangas, Bacha, Vetki, Nurilsha and Teli, disappeared over the last three decades due to continuous water pollution and unplanned fishing.
Researchers believe that the river water contains substantial quantity of industrial pollutants as more or less 730 industrial units of different categories on both banks drain out their untreated residue into the river apart from urban sewage and substances extremely hazardous for aquatic lives.
Of the industries, 19 are tanneries, 26 textile mills, two chemical plants, five fish processing units, four soap factories, two oil refineries, four paint industries, two cement and three fertiliser factories, including Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL), Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) Limited.
Rawhide processing plants, paper mills, chemical complexes, fish-processing plants and fertiliser factories have long been dumping toxic pollutants, ranging from heavy and radioactive metals, liquid ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and non-diluting hydrocarbons and corrosives, Prof Noman said.
Encroachment of the riverbanks, unabated dumping of industrial, clinical and human wastes, unplanned fishing, unchecked oil spill from oceangoing vessels and mechanised boats have severely polluted the river.
"The river has been desecrated. What is flowing there is mainly sewage and polluted water. Increasing toxicity caused by industrial wastes has destroyed the natural purity of the river water," said Marine researcher Prof Noman Ahmed Siddiqi.
Monjurul Kibria, Assistant Prof of Zoology department of Chittagong Govt College who conducted a two-month study on the river, said 15 to 20 fresh water fish species, 10 to 15 brackish water (mixed fresh and saline water) fish species and 5 to 6 fish species of migratory water disappeared from the river over the years due to severe pollution of the river's water.
"Many known species of marine fishes have already disappeared from the estuary of the Karnaphuli and others might go extinct soon if the abodes of aquatic creatures are not protected by reviving the water quality," Prof Kibria told the news agency.
In 1976, Marine researcher Prof Latif Bhuiyan in his research findings had revealed that at least 76 species of fish used to be found in the river Karnaphuli.
Later in 2000, Prof Kamal conducted another study and found only 54 species of fish in the river while 22 species, including Faissha, Kachki, Rupchanda, Kalichanda, Pangas, Bacha, Vetki, Nurilsha and Teli, disappeared over the last three decades due to continuous water pollution and unplanned fishing.
Researchers believe that the river water contains substantial quantity of industrial pollutants as more or less 730 industrial units of different categories on both banks drain out their untreated residue into the river apart from urban sewage and substances extremely hazardous for aquatic lives.
Of the industries, 19 are tanneries, 26 textile mills, two chemical plants, five fish processing units, four soap factories, two oil refineries, four paint industries, two cement and three fertiliser factories, including Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Limited (CUFL), Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (KAFCO) Limited.
Rawhide processing plants, paper mills, chemical complexes, fish-processing plants and fertiliser factories have long been dumping toxic pollutants, ranging from heavy and radioactive metals, liquid ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and non-diluting hydrocarbons and corrosives, Prof Noman said.