Save Basia river in Sylhet

"In my childhood, I saw the Basia river was about 180 to 200 feet wide and 25 to 40 feet deep in 1956. But it now looks like a narrow stream containing polluted water thanks to the mindless encroachment and dumping of waste material," said Monir Hosain, 85, a resident of Deokolosh village in Sylhet's Bishwanath upazila.

He said this at a human chain formed by Bachao Basia Okkya Parishad yesterday in the upazila's Basia bridge area urging all to save the river from encroachment and pollution.

Echoing Monir, other elderly people of the locality said several canals that connected the river to Deokolosh, Osmaninagor and Charchandi areas are now almost extinct.

When this correspondent was visiting the river banks in Deokolosh area, several farmers recently informed him that the river contains a very little amount water in dry season. Consequently, they face many challenges in growing crops.

They demanded re-excavation of the river and construction of sluice gates to facilitate irrigation.

Pollution has taken a serious turn, with chemical wastes from small industries on and/or near the river banks being unabatedly dumped into it. Also, human waste finds its way to the river through drains and canals.

When addressing the human chain, Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of the Sylhet chapter of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), said protecting all the rivers from encroachment and pollution is a must to save biodiversity and lives and livelihoods of the people.

He observed that a deficient garbage management system is one of the causes of pollution in the Basia river.

Sirajul Islam, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Sylhet, said encroachment of the river banks led to an alarming decline in its navigability, impeding its natural flow.