THE ecology and biodiversity as well as the socio-economy of people in the country’s hilly area completely depend on the existence of our rivers. These rivulets from hills have their unique characteristics, which are different than that of the plainland rivers in the country. But influential local people are using rivulets to extract sand or stone as well as to encroach on the land. In the long run, these rivulets are losing their unique characteristics due to massive contamination and disposal of waste during extraction activities. As a result, biodiversity in vast wetlands and haors is being affected and rivers all around are losing navigability. With the natural course of many of these small streams or creeks, also called rivulets, destroyed by encroachers, water from upstream is oftentimes inundating low-lying areas causing problems for farmers. All sorts of installations, including markets, shops and residential houses have been built on these streams along the bordering areas of the district over the years.
But the authorities concerned seem to be indifferent to the greater threat the illegal act poses to the country’s future. Rivers are the lifeblood of the Bangladesh economy and social life. Its cultural life is also deeply related to rivers. It is extremely unfortunate that its three main rivers, Ganges-Padma, Brahmaputra-Jamuna and Surma-Meghna are dying. We see cultivation of paddy on the bed of Jamuna and mustard and potato on the bed of Meghna. Already 75 percent of our river routes have lost navigability due to silting. To obviate the problem of lack of capacity to dredge them, it appears to be advisable to try greater utilisation of our idle manpower through food for work programme in addition to continuous dredging with our available resources.
This needs, of course, planned dredging, river training and socio-economic development. Another less costly device may be “bundling” through utilisation of bamboo and chatai (mat).
However, it needs vigorous concerted effort by BIWTA, BUET and River Research Institute to make such a project successful. But first of all it needs political will of the government.
