Staff Reporter :
Chairman of National River Protection Commission Dr Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury held the WASA responsible for the contamination of the four rivers surrounding the capital.
“If an organisation is held responsible for the pollution of the four rivers surrounding Dhaka, WASA will be the responsible for it. 99.9 percent human waste of Dhaka mixes into these four rivers. How does it happen? WASA should have resolved it,” he added.
Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury said this in a discussion meeting organised by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on the occasion of the world environment day on June 5.
“A single pipe is used to carry the solid waste and rain water into the rivers. WASA did not make separate lines for carrying the human wastes and shower water. As a result the river water is being polluted,” he added.
The Chairman also said, “Bangladesh is a land of rivers. Another name of water is life. But now this water has become the cause of our death. Last March I made a journey on the rivers on the North of Dhaka to see where people are bathing. Finally I found a river Sutia which is 95 kilometres from Dhaka where some people were bathing. But it was learnt that Akij factory is throwing waste in the river.”
He said that around four crore people live in Dhaka and its adjacent areas. But they don’t have any river where they can take bath. It is also a kind of the violation of human rights.
“There are no oysters, fishes, kingfishers or kites in the rivers surrounding Dhaka. Only sucker fishes are found in the rivers as these fishes don’t take oxygen from river water. This fish can survive for more than 30 hours without water. It clearly shows the pictures of the rivers,” he said.
Dr Manjur also said that the outbreak of diarrhea or cholera is increasing due to the environment pollution and such polluted water is the major source for cholera.
He said the Commission is working to clean the rivers of Buriganga, Turag, Tangi Khal, Balu and Shitalakhya before the birthday celebration of Bangabandhu on 17 March 2023.
“We want to free the rivers from contamination before the birthday celebration of Bangabandhu. Many have opined that it is impossible. If we can free the
country by nine months why we can’t make the rivers contamination free?” he said.
Among others, Commission President and Supreme Court senior advocate Manjil Morshed, former Director General of Department of Environment, joint editor of Prothom Alo Sohrah Hasan and News Editor of DBC news Pronob Saha, were present.
