Save Sutia river from rampant pollution

Over the last 10 years, the banks of Sutia river in Mymensingh's Trishal upazila over turned into a garbage dump right in front of the authorities. Yet, they didn't feel the need to address this crisis, which just shows how little the administration cares about protecting rivers despite Bangladesh's many commitments in this regard. As per a report by this daily, piles of household waste are dumped beside the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, near Naudhar area, every day. The garbage ultimately lands on the adjacent riverbank and remains there for years. And during monsoon, the waste washes into Sutia, contributing to the pollution of the entire network of local rivers. Thus, the negligence of local authorities is causing serious health risks for residents and those who depend on the water bodies.

Since its establishment in 1998, Trishal municipality has failed to ensure a designated waste dumping ground for its 40,000 residents. Usually, when the authorities are confronted with issues relating to garbage dumping, they blame residents for their lack of awareness. But there is no scope for such excuses here. The councillor himself has acknowledged that municipality workers have been dumping around 10 tonnes of garbage every day on the riverbank, in the absence of a fixed spot. This is just one of the countless examples of our rivers falling victim to pollution and encroachment over the years. Reportedly, around 90 percent of Bangladesh's 220 small and large rivers are suffering from such offences, with more than 43 rivers having dried up between 2000 and 2020.

One may recall that the High Court in 2019 granted rivers the legal status of "living entities," bestowing them with rights as "legal persons." But what good are such initiatives if the government cannot even ensure basic services like proper disposal of waste which leads to not just environmental harm but also the choking of rivers? The problem of the lack of designated dumping grounds is not limited to Trishal alone. Therefore, the authorities must undertake measures that address all such causes of pollution to protect our rivers.