Rivers being killed by haphazard dumping of waste
A report published in this paper recently revealed the challenges faced by Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) officials when they began a dredging project (required for smooth navigability) to remove silt from Barishal River Port around October 16. The hazardous amount of polythene, plastic and other trash dumped into the water slowed down the project, and more than a month later, not even half of the work could be completed. It transpired that violating existing rules, passengers and port staffers have been indiscriminately polluting the waterbody with large quantities of cloth, ropes and plastic waste which later collect with the silt. Needless to say, apart from hampering the dredging process, dumping such waste pollutes the water and affects marine biodiversity.
The 40-km-long Kirtankhola river—100-150 feet in the middle—stands at just around seven feet during low tide, and launches get stuck on their way to the port if there isn't at least 10-12 feet of depth. In the last two weeks, two launches got stuck near the port due to siltation. Hence, dredging is the only way forward. Two machines will be carrying out the dredging across 30 points on the Dhaka-Barishal route, including a few points at the river port area, but a lot of time and money is being wasted due to the accumulated waste including plastic.
It is disconcerting that despite the huge threat being posed to the navigability of the river by the accumulating waste, the relevant authorities have failed miserably to keep it under control since the pandemic struck. The waste is also a threat to the very life of the river. The administration, including the office of the local department of environment, must be firm in carrying out their responsibilities in stopping this pollution. The government has time and again stressed on saving our rivers which are the lifelines of our cities and villages. But we have ruined many of them already. The government must make concerted efforts to raise awareness about the damage caused by such wayward dumping of waste. It must also enforce penalties on polluters who, despite knowing the consequences, continue to pollute. These initiatives should not be limited to the Barishal port only, but should extend to all rivers across the country suffering from a similar fate.
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