The Atrai river, which once flowed wide and strong through Santhia upazila in Pabna, is now barely recognisable.
Residents who used to swim and fish in the river during their childhood now find no sign of it near the Kashinathpur haat area.
The river, which is 47 kilometres long and flows through three upazilas, has played a vital role in bringing a flow of water to Gaznar beel of Pabna's Sujanagar upazila and setting a link with Jamuna river. However, it has lost its natural flow of water in the last four decades due to rampant encroachment.
According to Water Development Board (WDB), the minimum width of the river was 80 to 90 feet, and the maximum width was about 190 to 200 feet. However, the river has turned into a 30-foot canal now, as encroachers have occupied the rest. Numerous illegal establishments have been built occupying this part of the river. Even a wide road has been built to reach out these establishments at ease on the both side of the river. In this, the flow has completely stopped at this place and the existence of the river has completely disappeared.
As the river is completely filled near Kashinathpur bazar, its normal water flow doesn’t exist anymore. However, the remaining part of the river from its source to estuary is somehow surviving as a streamless and frowsy reservoir. According to the locals, in the nineties, big boats used to travel through this river and boat race used to arrange.
Hilsa and various kinds of delicious fish were found in this river. Kashinathpur is located at the junction of Santhia, Bera and Sujanagar upazilas of Pabna.
Being situated along the Pabna-Dhaka highway, the place has become one of the business hubs of Pabna district. However, most of the occupied parts fall within Santhia Upazila.
As Kashinathpur has become one of the business centers of the district, the land price in the area surrounding Kashinathpur haat has skyrocketed. In this, the powerful local indulged in occupying the river out of greed. About one and a half kilometers have been occupied on both sides of the river and hundreds of paved and semi-paved structures with multi-storied buildings have been built throughout the area from the Kashinathpur traffic junction to the last border of the market. There is no river left in the occupied area adjacent to Kashinathpur Hat.
Due to the lack of administrative oversight and lack of enforcement of laws, local influentials have constructed numerous high-rise residential and commercial buildings. Coming to this place, one can hardly understand that once there was a flowing river here. The local administration does not have accurate information about how much land has been occupied.
After talking to four or five businessmen of the shops built on the two sides of the road which is built on the river, it is known that they are doing business by renting the shops. They do not know whether these shops have been built by occupying the river or not. One of the entrepreneurs of the local library and environment protection movement and teacher of Bera Mashumdia K. J. B. Degree College Md. Alaul Hossain said, “Due to occupancy, the flowing river Atrai has been wiped out at Kashinathpur. We have been demanding the protection of Atrai River at various times. Now we are expecting a government initiative.”
UNO of Santhia Upazila Masud Hossain said, “We have had several meetings regarding the protection of Atrai River.
We have already formed a committee of six-member in this regard by adding the officials of the Water Development Board. After reviewing the C.S., S.A., R.S. records, the committee will submit a report after verifying the past and present conditions, which will eventually be sent to the River Protection Commission.” “However, we are taking this matter of Atrai River occupation very seriously”, he added.
Locals and environmentalists have claimed that the destruction of the Atrai river has not only affected the environment but also the lives of the people who depended on the river for their livelihoods. The situation calls for immediate action to restore the river's natural flow of water and prevent further encroachment, they added.
