Rivers cannot be sectioned off for personal gains

It is frustrating that the Pabna district administration has decided to lease out as many as 31 sections of 10 local rivers for fish farming. These areas, labelled "jalmahal", are government-owned waterbodies. According to the Jalmahal Management Policy 2009, the authorities are forbidden to lease out any open waterbody like a river. One may also recall that all rivers in general have been declared "living entities" by the High Court, which assigned the National River Protection Commission (NRPC) as their legal guardian. Thus, the Pabna administration's actions are in contravention of both the government policy and High Court orders.

According to a report by this paper, the administration in January invited applications from fishermen offering leases for 63 waterbodies across nine upazilas of the district. How can those areas that cannot be used as "jalmahals" be included in the list? It seems here too, as in all other cases of river encroachment, the power of influential figures has trumped the administration's responsibility to abide by the law.

We have seen multiple examples of rivers being narrowed or encroached upon because the occupiers are connected to power. Despite the government declaring, from time to time, its commitment to protect the environment, in particular rivers, we have frequently seen such declarations lead to nothing with many of the rivers either dying or on the verge of death. Rivers are being choked by industrial and residential waste dumped into them indiscriminately; they are also being narrowed by encroachers. Sometimes, as in this case, it is the government's own institutions that are complicit.

This must be stopped. We urge the river commission and other relevant authorities to do the job they have been mandated to do, which is to protect rivers by ensuring that no individual or group, with or without the help of local administrations, can manipulate the system to occupy stretches of a river. We expect the government to hold local administrations accountable and make sure rivers are kept free from encroachment and accessible to all.