Act now to save Karnaphuli, Halda
The government must take immediate steps to save the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers from pollution and encroachment for the greater good of the country, said speakers yesterday.
They made the demand at a workshop on watershed management, organised by International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the World Trade Centre in port city.
Watershed management is a term used to describe the process of implementing land use and water management practices to protect and improve the quality of water and other natural resources within a watershed by managing the use of those resources in a comprehensive manner.
Prof Kamal Hossen of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science at Chattogram University said watersheds (an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas) are degrading due to various manmade reasons.
"Over population, industrialisation, rampant hill cutting, deforestation, use of pesticides and pollution are contributing to the degradation of watershed, without which we will be devoid of water in future," he said.
Besides, large-scale deforestation is resulting in hillslides, claiming lives of many every monsoon, he said. It also contributes to siltation for which flash floods occurs in the hills, he added.
He emphasised saving the two key rivers [Karnaphuli and Halda] of Chattogram for watershed conservation.
Prof Manzoorul Kibria, professor of zoology at CU, said the country lost a huge watershed by building the Kaptai dam, which has reduced the Karnaphuli to almost a canal.
He also said a huge amount of water is being extracted from the Halda and Karnaphuli to cater to the need of port city residents, which is costing the rivers its biodiversity, flora and fauna.
Prof Kibria urged the authorities concerned to protect the two rivers from pollution by making sure that every industrial unit has a functional ETP (effluent treatment plant).
Prof SM Shamsul Huda underscored the need for awareness and participation of people in watershed management.
Prof Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain of environmental science at CU moderated the workshop, presided over by Dr Rakibul Amin, country director of IUCN.
Golam Mawla, divisional forest officer; Dr Rafiqul Haidar from Bangladesh Forest Research Institute; Shibendu Kastagir, superintending engineer of Water Development Board; Dr Mohammad Moslem Uddin Munna, associate professor of Department of Oceanography at CU, were present at the discussion, among others.
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