The New Nation - Internet Edition

Water is the most vital element and crucial for the survival of all living organisms.. The environment, economic growth and development highly influenced by water. Spatial and seasonal availability of surface and groundwater is highly responsive to the monsoon climate and physiography of the country and upstream withdrawal for consumptive and non consumptive uses. Our country is the lower riparian of three major river systems, the Ganges-Padma, the Brahmaputra-Jamuna and the Meghna (GBM).

The problem is that we have to much water in the monsoons and too little in the dry season.Water resources are being degraded by untreated domestic and raw sewage, untreated industrial effluents, runoff pollution from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and oil and lube spillage. Erosion from deforestated areas, degradation of watersheds and poorly managed agricultural land have reduced dry seasons river flows and diminished ground-water research.

Water scarcity are causing due to upstream withdrawal for consumptive and non-consumptive use, low rainfall, gradual siltation in riverbed, construction of flood-control embankments and roads and dry season irrigation activities. The crisis that we are witnessing today, whether of scarcity and pollution of water and the degradation of soil, devastation of forests and the rapid diminution of bio-diversity, is essentially a crisis of the human spirit. Thus for the survival of all living components including human being, water resources need to be managed and we have take effective steps to combat water crisis and pollution.

The task would become easier if the government agencies fulfilled their environmental duties and responsibilities effectively and meaningful participation of civil society in environmental issues and help in tackling the problems. So, come on, to ensure green planet for the present people and for the future generation by taking all possible steps for stopping the crisis and pollution of water.

Sharifa Yasmin Shawn

Tangail