The rivers flowing through Magura district are in death throes. They have lost their navigability over the years. The rivers criss-crossing the district are Gorai, Nabaganga, Chitra, Kumar, Begboti, Fotki, Muchikhali Madhumoti and Hanu and they will disappear soon unless the authorities concerned act in time.
Severe pollution, encroachment, siltation and sand and soil lifting have posed an existential threat to the rivers flowing through the district. Some influential people are behind such miserable condition of the rivers.
Building fish enclosures, lifting sand and soil, erecting bridges over the rivers have put the rivers in death throes, according to media reports.
Dwelling houses, entertainment parks, children's parks, offices and factories have even been built by encroaching upon the rivers. Such illegal activities are hindering the flow of the rivers. Disposal of industrial and household waste is also polluting the rivers and destroying ecosystem.
Besides, canals named Dariapur, Alamkhali and Sirijdia, water bodies like Tarakhal and Baori, Raua, Padma, Kumar, Kashiadanga, Gazar Garia and Hatuda beels are also on the verge of extinction. All the rivers, canals and waterbodies have almost dried up even before the dry season. More than 15.5 lakh people who used to depend for their livelihood directly on these rivers have become unemployed and displaced. These rivers would flow spontaneously throughout the year 17 years back, but now they have turned into canals. Taking advantage of this present condition of the rivers, a section of people are growing various crops like paddy, lentil, onion and garlic on the river beds.
Filling up the riverbank for construction of public establishments by lifting sands from the river is completely unlawful. Illegal occupation of river bank was stopped for a while after different newspapers published news in this regard. We have noticed that the government’s various initiatives to protect the rivers from illegal occupation have failed on different occasions.
These rivers would flow spontaneously
throughout the year 17 years back,
but now they have turned into canals
The government and non-government organisations and green experts take part in discussions, seminars and rallies in which they always term the rivers as vein of human body, saying protection of the rivers is a must to save the country.
But the fact is that their commitments always remain unfulfilled due to what they say “serious difficulties and challenges” caused by local influential and hoodlums. Therefore, their all efforts to protect the rivers go in vain despite prime minister’s strict instruction.
The government has launched a development project for the re-excavation of small rivers, canals and water bodies in all 64 districts of the country. The district administration must launch massive drives to free the rivers, canals and water bodies of the country from illegal occupation.
Apart from Magura, we do believe that country’s rivers and other water bodies will get back their life through such drives and none, even ‘godfathers’ and ‘dons’, would be spared as Sheikh Hasina’s government has taken a stern stance against such crimes and it has already made clear its "zero-tolerance policy" against the grabbers of rivers and water bodies.
People from all walks of life will have to stand by the authorities concerned, local administration and the members of law enforcement agencies and extend all-out support them to protect the rivers, canals and water bodies.
The people of the country will be happy if the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), law-enforcement agencies and local administration launch demolition drive to make the rivers free from illegal grabbers. Simultaneously, the authorities concerned should raise mass awareness across the country to save the rivers and water bodies.
