If rivers die, we can’t survive

Specific and immediate efforts are required to save the rivers in Mymensingh, said speakers at a workshop yesterday.

"If the rivers die, we cannot survive anyway, and all the developments will be futile," they said while addressing the daylong workshop titled, "Divisional Workshop on Rivers" held at a hotel in Mymensingh city.

Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) jointly organised the event on the concluding day of the three-day programme "Field Visit and Programme Plan".

All the rivers in Mymensingh region are in poor shape, with many in critical condition, like Sumeswari, they said.

Garbage disposal, manufacturing waste, encroachment, uncontrolled sand and stone extraction, and unplanned dredging are destroying the river's ecosystem and surroundings. Even the names of all rivers in Mymensingh division are not included in the list of rivers published on the National River Conservation Commission's website, mentioned the speakers.

They urged the Water Development Board to list all rivers in the country and this region, and reclaim the riverbanks from grabbers based on past records.

The participants said polluters should also be held accountable.

The speakers also demanded that the administration take the necessary actions to bring the rivers back to life, such as publishing the list of river occupiers and increasing monitoring of the river and its environment.

Presided over by ALRD president Shamsul Huda, the event was also addressed by additional divisional commissioner Md Anwar Hossain, director of Local Government Farid Ahmed, and executive engineer of Water Development Board, Md Akhlak Ul Jamil among others.

Dr Khalid Mahmud, associate professor of Department of Irrigation and Water Management at Bangladesh Agricultural University, presented the keynote paper, while Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bela, moderated the event.