Aarshed Ahmed Asad, Gafargaon :
Shila and Sutia rivers are now facing existence. These two rivers are flowing over Gafargaon Upazila under Mymensingh district.
Locals said, due to building of unplanned embankment, sluice-gate, occupation of the bank of the rivers by business institutions, infrastructure are the main causes of loosing the river Shila and Sutia. At present about 50 km. has been dried up . As a result, the cultivation is going on the river bed and all kinds of local verities of fishes are being disappeared. The mighty rivers have turned into a dead canal. Some portion of lands of the rivers are being grabbed.
The river bed is fertile and sandy and the farmers are cultivating various crops in the dried -up river bed.
Water Development Board sources said , the length of Shila river is 73.25 and Sutia river is 380km.
Hasmat Ali Bhuian of village Kandi told that from Diga village to Trimuhini of Neguary union under Gafargaon upazila has 12 sluice-gates over Shila river.
The then government in 1985 began to build up sluice-gate for irrigation and finished the work in 1990.After building up sluice-gates, the locals did not get any benefit but they dried up the rivers. Once upon a time the lion parts of business were run in the river route. The river route was cheaper than the other routes. The goods and other commodities rice, jute, paddy, mustered, wheat were brought to the various markets in this upazila.
Recently the river routes have been abolished and they have to carry their goods by another transport at the high cost. Most of the people here are farmers. The river was full of fishes. They caught fishes and sold in the market and maintained their families. Now, they are maintaining their families by driving rickshaw, push cart and day labourers are leaving ther profession. In the rainy season the two rivers are full to the brim but in the winter they turn into dead canal. The rivers were very deep and mighty 10/12 years ago.
Irrigation over 11 thousand hectares of lands have been hampered . Shila and Sutia river are now by name in the map of Bangladesh but in reality they are facing threat. The existence of the two rivers have been lost somewhere. Besides, the natural beauty have been lost due to dry up of the rivers.
Muhammad Musa (In -charge) , Chief Engineer of Mymensingh Water Development Board told that every river has lost its navigability including Brahmaputra in Mymensingh. No dredging was done in the rivers.
Shila and Sutia rivers are now facing existence. These two rivers are flowing over Gafargaon Upazila under Mymensingh district.
Locals said, due to building of unplanned embankment, sluice-gate, occupation of the bank of the rivers by business institutions, infrastructure are the main causes of loosing the river Shila and Sutia. At present about 50 km. has been dried up . As a result, the cultivation is going on the river bed and all kinds of local verities of fishes are being disappeared. The mighty rivers have turned into a dead canal. Some portion of lands of the rivers are being grabbed.
The river bed is fertile and sandy and the farmers are cultivating various crops in the dried -up river bed.
Water Development Board sources said , the length of Shila river is 73.25 and Sutia river is 380km.
Hasmat Ali Bhuian of village Kandi told that from Diga village to Trimuhini of Neguary union under Gafargaon upazila has 12 sluice-gates over Shila river.
The then government in 1985 began to build up sluice-gate for irrigation and finished the work in 1990.After building up sluice-gates, the locals did not get any benefit but they dried up the rivers. Once upon a time the lion parts of business were run in the river route. The river route was cheaper than the other routes. The goods and other commodities rice, jute, paddy, mustered, wheat were brought to the various markets in this upazila.
Recently the river routes have been abolished and they have to carry their goods by another transport at the high cost. Most of the people here are farmers. The river was full of fishes. They caught fishes and sold in the market and maintained their families. Now, they are maintaining their families by driving rickshaw, push cart and day labourers are leaving ther profession. In the rainy season the two rivers are full to the brim but in the winter they turn into dead canal. The rivers were very deep and mighty 10/12 years ago.
Irrigation over 11 thousand hectares of lands have been hampered . Shila and Sutia river are now by name in the map of Bangladesh but in reality they are facing threat. The existence of the two rivers have been lost somewhere. Besides, the natural beauty have been lost due to dry up of the rivers.
Muhammad Musa (In -charge) , Chief Engineer of Mymensingh Water Development Board told that every river has lost its navigability including Brahmaputra in Mymensingh. No dredging was done in the rivers.
