River Karnaphuli under threat of losing navigabitlity
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Nov 28: The Karnaphuli River is once again under threat of pollution, river-bank grabbing and manifold misuse. Also, continuous siltation is decreasing the draught of the river causing it to lose its navigability, sources said.
Since the establishment of the hydro electric plant in Kaptai in 1956, an area of about 300 sq km beginning from the origin of the river up to Kaptai was turned into an artificial lake. The 70 km long Karnaphuli River beginning from Kaptai embankment until it flows into the Bay of Bengal has been treated rather poorly.
The land grabbers are grabbing whatever part of the river they can. So far, no government has made any serious effort to rescue the river from the clutch of the grabbers during last 50 years.
There is no end to the pollution of the river. From, the huge quantities of liquid waste of the Chandraghona based Karnaphuli Paper Mills to the thousands of tonnes of dirt and garbage from different mills and factories from Kaptai to Chittagong-are dumped unhindered into the river.
Moreover, land grabbing is going on in full swing on both the banks as local influential people are involved in the construction of different establishments on it.
Finally, the pollution is also putting at risk the production of fish fries in Halda river, a tributary of the Karnaphuli. Therefore, effective steps are the need of the hour to rescue the river Karnaphuli, expert quarters say.
CHITTAGONG, Nov 28: The Karnaphuli River is once again under threat of pollution, river-bank grabbing and manifold misuse. Also, continuous siltation is decreasing the draught of the river causing it to lose its navigability, sources said.
Since the establishment of the hydro electric plant in Kaptai in 1956, an area of about 300 sq km beginning from the origin of the river up to Kaptai was turned into an artificial lake. The 70 km long Karnaphuli River beginning from Kaptai embankment until it flows into the Bay of Bengal has been treated rather poorly.
The land grabbers are grabbing whatever part of the river they can. So far, no government has made any serious effort to rescue the river from the clutch of the grabbers during last 50 years.
There is no end to the pollution of the river. From, the huge quantities of liquid waste of the Chandraghona based Karnaphuli Paper Mills to the thousands of tonnes of dirt and garbage from different mills and factories from Kaptai to Chittagong-are dumped unhindered into the river.
Moreover, land grabbing is going on in full swing on both the banks as local influential people are involved in the construction of different establishments on it.
Finally, the pollution is also putting at risk the production of fish fries in Halda river, a tributary of the Karnaphuli. Therefore, effective steps are the need of the hour to rescue the river Karnaphuli, expert quarters say.