Bhairab struggles for survival

Due to the mindless dumping of waste, rampant river-grabbing by influential persons and reluctance of authorities to take appropriate steps, Bhairab river -- one of the major waterbodies of the country -- continues to suffer.

Both sides of the river's 37-km stretch -- from Rupsha ghat of Khulna city to Nowapara Bazar ghat of Jashore's Avaynagar -- have fallen victim to encroachers, who are turning the river into a canal and reducing its navigability.

These grabbers have built business establishments, factories, jute mills and depots, chemical industries, jetties, tanneries, and sand and coal selling centres by the rivers.

There are about 350 industrial units in the region. Among them, 230, including 54 jute mills, four power-plants, soybean mills, 22 shrimp processing units and cement factories, are on the riverbank.

The waste generated from these establishments is discharged directly into the river.

Industrial units at Rupsha, Khalishpur, Daulatpur, Shiromony BSCIC in Khulna, Rajghat, and Nowapara of Jashore are posing a serious threat to the river's existence.

During a recent visit to both sides of the river -- from Custom ghat to Nowapara Bazar -- this correspondent saw at least 500 establishments there.

There were also some jetties set up in the river, reducing its navigability. Grabbers also installed cranes there to facilitate loading and unloading of goods from cargo vessels.

There are many government and private institutions that depend on Bhairab for their shipments. Khulna Shipyard, BNS Titumir (Bangladesh Navy), BIWTA ghat, Forest ghat, Khulna Newsprint Mills, Khulna Hardboard Mills, nine state-owned jute mills, four power plants, three state-owned oil depots, and over 200 private jute mills have been built on the banks of Bhairab following due procedures.

Besides, near the Khulna Boro Bazar, over 250 toilets have been set up by the river.

Paran Saha (76), a hardware trader of Khulna Baro Bazar, said, "Authorities like WDB, BIWTA, city corporation, Khulna district administration and police are not sincere enough to protect the river from polluters and grabbers."

Moufarsher Alam Lenin, a private jute employee of Digholia upazila, said over 40 private jute industries throw their waste into Bhairab. Many owners have also built structures on the riverbed.

Every day, over 300 cargo vessels carry goods and oil from Jashore's Nowapara to different parts of the country along the river. On their way, they pollute the river by dumping waste and discharging chemicals, said locals and green activists.

Ismail Morol, a trader in Nowapara Stone Ghat, said the planned dredging in Nowapara river port area did not bear any fruit due to mindless waste dumping.

Prof Dilip Kumar Datta of Khulna University's environmental science department, who conducted a study on the quality of Bhairab's water, said, "Once the 160-km Bhairab used to be rich with aquatic life. However, industrialisation, unplanned urbanisation, increasing population, and dumping of waste are deteriorating its water quality.''

"It seems like we are adamant to kill our rivers. At least 20 large drains of Khulna City Corporation directly discharge liquid waste into Bhairab," he added.

Contacted, Ashraf Hossain, joint director of Khulna BIWTA, said, "We have already identified 1,274 structures from Labonchhara area of the city to BIWTA ghat area and submitted the list to the administration and mayor."

"First, the district administration will file cases against the grabbers and then we will conduct drives to free the river," he said.

Masud Parvez, assistant director of Nowapara river port, said, "We already evicted over 24 jetties in the last two months. Most of the grabbers are influential and exercise their power when faced with consequences."

Imdadul Haque, deputy director of Department of Environment, Khulna, said due to workforce shortage, they cannot monitor all the industries properly.

"We are concerned about the issue and have conducted drives as well to free the river," he added.