Kaliganga crying out for help

Years of encroachment has left the Kaliganga, which used to be one of the most prominent rivers in the country, in its death throes. But the authorities seem to have turned a blind eye to the crime.

The 28-kilometre-long river emerges from the Gorai near Chheuria in Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila before falling onto the Kumar river in Kancherkol area of Jhenidah's Shailkupa upazila.

Locals said the average width of the Kaliganga used to be 100 metres whereas now its width came down to 30 metres in most areas. 

The encroachment on the river began around one and a half century ago when rail tracks along with a bridge were laid across the river and a railway station was built in Kushtia. Soon enough, several hundred private and government structures started to spring up along the banks of the Kaliganga.

In recent times two projects -- one government and another private -- have drawn huge criticism as those were implemented encroaching on large parts of the riverbank.

The Lalon Academy, a government body, recently constructed a commercial complex at Chheuria by filling up around 60 feet width of the riverbank. A concrete performance stage for holding cultural programmes was also constructed at the site.

Near the academy, an oxygen refilling plant was also set up on nearly 50 feet width of the river's bank by a leader of the ruling Awami League (AL) party.

Contacted, Taijal Ali Khan, general secretary of the Lalon Academy, claimed that the then government in 1998 made the decision to build the commercial complex on the bank of the river and they only implemented the decision.

Mihir Hossain, owner of the oxygen refilling facility and also a vice-president of the AL's Kushtia town unit, could not be reached for his comments as his cell phone was found turned off during repeated calls by this correspondent.

Local green activist Gautam Kumar Roy said the indiscriminate encroachment over the years has constricted the Kaliganga and obstructed its natural flow.

Not too long ago, large vessels had no trouble plying the river that used to be teeming with all sorts of fish, he said adding that now even small boats face difficulty navigating in it while it has lost almost all its biodiversity.  

Contacted, Kushtia Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam said the district administration remains vigilant to try to combat the problem. "We often conduct drives to evict illegal grabbers and the drives will continue."