Save Ichhamati river

The Ichhamati river, once considered the lifeline for Pabna, has now reduced to the size of a dying canal -- thanks to the ill-conceived planning before building sluice gates on it, indiscriminate dumping of liquid and solid waste and encroachment.

The observation was made yesterday in Rajshahi city at a daylong discussion titled “Ways to save the Ichhamati river”. 

Around 60 teachers, development activists, businessmen, social organisers and journalists attended the discussion organised by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), in association with Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

Akbarul Hasan Millat, acting editor of local daily Sonar Desh, chaired the discussion.

In order to save the dying river, the speakers made a nine-point recommendation that included earmarking boundaries of the river's banks, removal of illegal structures that are preventing its flow and stopping its pollution and encroachment.

In the keynote paper, SM Mahbub Alam, convener of Ichhamati Nodi Uddhar Andolon, said the sluice gates, built on the river years ago, in Banglabazar area on the outskirts of Pabna is reducing the river's water flow.  

A survey conducted in 2003 revealed that on five kilometres stretch of the river between Mondolpara and Shalgaria Swashanghat in Pabna town, the river was encroached on by at least 285 encroachers, he said, adding that today the number of grabbers has increased manifolds.

Besides, various factories, especially pharmaceutical and food processing factories are releasing untreated liquid waste into the river while others are dumping solid waste in it, Mahbub said.

Directives made by National River Conservation Commission to save the river are not being implemented either, said the speakers.

Demanding immediate action, they said Bela issued legal notices to 19 government offices in 2017, but those notices gained little responses.

Prof Redwanur Rahman of Institute of Environmental Science at Rajshahi University moderated the discussion while Water Development Board superintendent engineers SM Shahidul Islam and Md Amirul Haque Bhuiyan also spoke among others.