Buriganga’s woes continue

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Despite once being the heart of Dhaka city, the Buriganga River is now losing its identity with each passing day.
Encroachment and pollution in tandem have put the life of the river at stake.
Thousands of factories and inhabitants have cropped up along both banks of the river, and with them, immense waste disposal into the river, leaving it in dire straits.
During a visit to the areas, this correspondent found wood and garbage lying on the river bank.
In addition to the tanneries in Hazaribagh, hundreds of polythene and plastic recycling factories in Lalbagh, Islambagh, Kamarigirchar, and more than two hundred dyeing factories have sprouted in Keraniganj, on the encroached river banks.
In addition, chemical-mixed water from thousands of different mills and factories in Shyampur, Pagla and Fatulla areas is polluting the water of the river.
Although thousands of tonnes of trash and garbage are being dumped into the river every year, the environment department is silent. Household garbage and rejected materials are also going into the river through direct drains.
Meanwhile, the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and Dhaka South City Corporation are jointly dumping millions of tons of trash and garbage, without treatment, into the river through a hundred points.
The WASA and DSCC are producing most of the trash as both the bodies have not been able to establish any waste treatment plant as yet. As a result the river is not only being grabbed, but also being polluted to a great extent.
It is learnt that the High Court in 2009 ordered a boundary wall be built 50 metres away from the river. The order was to be implemented by the district commission. However, no boundary wall is visible along most of the bank of the river.
There are stacks of bricks and industrial waste on the river bank. Besides, some portion of the river has been filled with soil by individual effort.
It is learnt that the Department of Environment has been working with a taskforce to retrieve the rivers of Dhaka. They are recommending that various private companies take measures to prevent grabbing and pollution of all the rivers in Dhaka.
An environment department source said that they have not been able to take any effective action for Buriganga.
The waste-producing government institutions remain above the law.
Even no warning notices were issued for them to reduce pollution. Some private companies have been penalised to check pollution.
There is no coordination among the agencies entrusted to rescue the river, which is not being retrieved due to weak laws, legal framework, manpower and such.
In this situation, the river experts are concerned about the future of the river.
When contacted, Dr Mujibur Rahaman Hawlader, Chairman of the National River Protection Commission told Bangladesh Post, “I have recently visited the spot and submitted an overall report to the ministry. We’re very much concerned about the matter. We held two consecutive meetings with environment department, district commission, BIWTA and other stakeholders.”
“We also organised a meeting on 25 February in this regard. A dozen decisions were made regarding evicting all illegal settlements in the area.”
BIWTA had already started an eviction drive against all illegal establishments on the banks of the river, he added.

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