Protecting Khowai river from pollution, land grabbers demanded

Habiganj chapter of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), and the Khowai River Waterkeeper jointly formed a human chain in Habiganj city yesterday, urging the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to protect the rivers including the Khowai from pollution and occupation.

The citizens groups also brought out rally in the city the same day, which was attended locals, students, professionals and representatives from various non-governmental organisations.

"The rivers are being grabbed indiscriminately and polluted, but the authorities are still oblivious," said Khowai River water keeper Tofazzal Sohel, adding that measures to protect them were often halted halfway through the recovery programmes for reasons unknown.

"The government's indifference to protecting the rivers, corruption and lack of coordination added to the degradation of the rivers, said Sohel, underscoring the need for taking sustainable development initiatives.

Siddique Harun, join secretary of Bapa's Habiganj unit, said protecting the rivers from encroachment and pollution was a must to conserve biodiversity and save livelihoods of the people living in the area.

Many influential people have already occupied coasts of the Khowai while encroachers were growing vegetables and erecting illegal structures on the coasts, turning it into a narrow canal…, said the speakers while addressing the rally.

These all were happening under the nose of the local administration, but no action was taken to prevent them, they alleged, demanding that actions be taken immediately to save the rivers and ensure their natural flows.

Among others, Rotary Club's Khowai president Syed Abdul Baki Md Iqbal and Syeda Thamuda Begum, a local college teacher, also spoke.