River conservationists expressed their firm determination to make united efforts to save the Buriganga River at any cost. The government took various measures to free the Buriganga from illegal occupation and pollution while river conservationists, environmentalists and rights activists continued talking about the issue. But Buriganga is still being polluted with household sewage and industrial wastes while grabbing is taking place under the very nose of the authorities concerned.
Illegal establishments built on the bank of river were demolished several times. But showing thumb to the authorities concerned, the local influential again grabbed the river bank in many ways.
The Buriganga has not died yet but if the pollution and grabbing continue, once it will disappear from the map of the country. Twelve years back, the government had taken the Buriganga River Restoration Project in order to revive the Buriganga and other rivers surrounding the capital city. But it has yet to implement the project titled ‘Buriganga River Restoration Project, encompassing New Dhaleswari-Pungli-Bangshi-Turag-Buriganga river system.’
The officials concerned should
expedite the pace of the project
as 11 years have already gone by
The project cost has been revised two times while its timeframe extended five times. Under the project, the water development board will increase 141 cusec water flow of the Buriganga River by bringing 245 cusec water flow from the River Jamuna during the dry season. The project has so far witnessed 83 percent progress till date while the prime minister asked the executing agency concerned to implement the scheme as early as possible.
It is worth mentioning that fund crisis and unplanned development of structures like bridge and illegal encroachment of river banks are major barriers to the project implementation.
The rotten stench originating from the polluted waters of Buriganga, Dhaleswari, Pungli, Bangshi and Turag starts spreading in and around the rivers’ bank soon after the disappearance of monsoon as their waters quality starts deteriorating seriously. However, things improve for two to three months during the monsoon. If the project would have been implemented within the timeframe, the water flow and navigability of these rivers including Buriganga would increase during the dry season and the intensity of pollution would also be decreased.
The officials concerned should expedite the pace of the project as 11 years have already gone by. The authorities concerned must frame a master plan to maintain the navigability of the rivers alongside protecting the rivers from wastage within the fresh deadline. All must keep in mind that the industrial wastage alongside the household wastage cannot be poured into the rivers, and construction of an integrated effluent treatment plant to recycle the wastage is a must in this regard.
