BSS, Narsingdi :
Disposal of factory waste and chemicals are polluting waters of Haridoa and old Brahmaputra river in the district posing serious threat to public health and environment as well.
Many residents of the river areas are forced to use the dirty water to meet their daily needs and they have been suffering from many diseases including skin and diarrhoea.
Waters of the rivers become black and poisonous due to continuous dumping of factory waste and chemical mixed-water, especially from the textile industries.
Amir Hossain, an associate professor of Narsingdi Government College and a resident of Bongshidia village of Shibpur upazila said, his two children and other family members are suffering from skin diseases by using polluted water of Haridoa river.
Ruma Begum, a housewife of Madhobdi area, also said her three children and she herself have been attacked with skin diseases by using the polluted water of Old Brahmaputra River.
Once the river of Old Brahmaputra at Madhobdi area of Sadar upazila and Hardoa River at Shibpur upazila of the district were navigable. Now the rivers have lost their existence and almost turned into canals as their riverbeds have been filled up by the influential people.
The river has also lost their fishing resources due to continuous dumping of waste and chemical mixed water of the local factories.
Local people said that the district administration held meetings with the owners of the factories many times to motivate them to set up water treatment plant in different industries and factories in the district but to no effect.
They hoped that the government must save the rivers by massive dredging and stopping dumping of factory waste and chemical mixed water in the rivers.
