The death of a river

The road on the west of Dumuria's Baliakhali bridge had to be crossed through the mighty Hamkura on ferries. The road is still there. The river, however, is not.

Instead, a paddy field stretches as far as the eyes can see. The bridge only stands as proof of a river that once was here. Once 12km long, the mighty Hamkura is now a dead river, thanks to the unscrupulous land grabbers and lack of surveillance by the authorities concerned.

Merely two decades ago, the river was a busy one with innumerable small and big boats, trawlers and launches plying on it all day long. There was an abundance of fish, including hilsha, which fishermen used to catch to make a living.

Hamkura, a connecting river, originated from the River Shree. The Bildakatia region -- through which the river flowed -- was inundated with waterlogging in the early eighties. To solve the crisis, locals cut dams at four points, including Bildakatia's Amvita. This proved to be counterproductive, as the tidal waters of Bhadra swelled and overflowed the area.

In 1995, as part of the K-JDRP (Khulna-Jashore Drainage Rehabilitation Project), the dam was blocked, which resulted in the Hamkura drying in just three months. That is when the river bed started to be used for various constructions.

During a recent visit to the area, this correspondent saw hundreds of concrete, semi-concrete mudhouses, brickfields and schools have been built on the river bed. At least three families currently live under the bridge. All of it has been facilitated by local influentials, while the administration stays silent, according to locals.

Momtaz Begum, one of the residents, said their family has been living there for almost 20 years. "We took shelter under the bridge as there is no other land for us," she said.

Md Haider Ali Khan (65) of Gonali village said none could venture to cross the river -- which was 400 metres wide -- by swimming even in the eighties.

"Now the river no longer exists. During the monsoon, the area is waterlogged," he said.

"If the river is excavated, the waterlogging crisis in about 8,500 hectares of land occupying at least 10 villages of the upazila can be solved. The river will see an abundance of fish again. More crops can be produced, " said Md Rofiqul Islam, a resident of Tiana village.

Ashraful Alam, executive engineer of BWDB-1, said the Hamkura is already silted. Reports of a feasibility study have been sent to the ministry for verification and approval for the river's excavation.

Gouranga Nandy, a researcher and environmentalist, told this correspondent that the pre-condition of keeping the coastal rivers alive is to keep them flowing both upstream and downstream.

"Most of the rivers in this region are separated from the upstream, due to which pressure and sediment caused by high tide accumulate in the river bed.

"If TRM (Tidal River Management) is done by digging the Hamkura, the current will return. And it will be beneficial for everyone," he added.