The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Out of 230 rivers in the country, a total of 17 rivers have become waterless and eight others are on the verge of drying out due to various natural and manmade catastrophes including Farakka Barrage and other cordon structures on upstream during the past three decades.

Speakers made this observation at a discussion titled "Situation of rivers in the Northern Bangladesh and what to be done" here on Saturday. Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA) arranged the meeting at the conference hall of Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

BAPA General Secretary Dr Abdul Matin and Joint Secretary Sharif Zamil spoke on the occasion as the designated discussants.

Chaired by development activist Proshanta Shaha, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Professor Dr AHM Zehadul Karim of Anthropology Department of Rajshahi University, Adviser of Atma Samajik Unnayan Sangstha (ASAUS) Abul Hossain, journalist Akbarul Hassan Millat and social worker Jamat Khan.

With the reduction in water flow, more other major rivers have turned into dying canals, shoals have been emerged in the riverbeds and salinity has been enhanced in the estuarine (sea-belt) areas, the speakers said. In 1971, the country's river-way was 24,140 kilometers that connected eight per cent areas of the country but it has been reduced to 3,800 kilometers in the winter season at present. Some more rivers will loose their navigability if the current trend of flow reduction is continued, the warned.

The speakers said, the Indian authorities have built infrastructures on the upstream of the 54 trans-border rivers to withdraw and divert water thereby depriving downstream Bangladesh from receiving its due share.

They said, due to the unilateral withdrawal of water, various negative impacts on the environment have started in the country that included untimely flooding, water logging, river erosion and ecological degradation.

They put forward 12-point recommendations in order to conserve the existing rivers of the country.