Killing of Boral river
We are appalled how the river Boral has been allowed to die leading to the destruction of such a crucial water body as Chalan Beel, becoming the victim of years of encroachment, pollution and ill-planned sluice gates and dams built at various points. Our correspondent back from Natore found an entire housing society that has occupied a large chunk of the Boral river—built under the noses of the local administration. It is all the more shocking that it is not just private individuals who are guilty of this blatant grabbing of river land—several government projects and offices have set up buildings on this river land. Why a well-intentioned project to build houses for the extreme poor should be built on river land is beyond our comprehension.
Further investigation has revealed that the river land has been grabbed for cultivating crops while indiscriminate dumping of household and industrial waste from these districts have polluted and clogged the river further. It is hardly surprising to know that river experts have said that the reckless grabbing and pollution has cost the Boral river's natural course. Disruption in the natural flow of water has also been caused by building sluice gates at a point in the river in the 80s leading to many areas of the river drying up.
According to a chief engineer of the Water Development Board, because of the sluice gates water released from the Padma during the dry season has gone down drastically. Dams have also been built dividing the river into several parts adding to the disruption of flow of water all year round. These areas are virtually arid except during the monsoons.
The water resource ministry did a feasibility study in 2018 on the impact of these activities and came up with important recommendations. We urge the government to treat this as an emergency and execute these recommendations. They include removing illegal structures to free the river, increase the flow of water by reconstructing the sluice gates, dredging the river if needed, making sure untreated sewage is not dumped into the river. In addition we believe that stocktaking is crucial to find out how this continuous grabbing of the river land has taken place. Those who have been responsible for occupying the land and selling the plots must be held accountable with the names of all illegal occupiers disclosed to the public. The government must remove all structures belonging to it that are in the river land. The incomprehensible apathy towards such continuous killing of our rivers and other waterbodies must stop and the government must show its commitment to save them and to protect the environment.
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