& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Rivers, haors in N-E region dying

No initiative to re-excavate
SYLHET, July 7: Dealing a severe blow to the livelihoods of thousands of boatmen, the Kushiyara river and a good number of haors. large water bodies, in the country’s northeastern region are being silted up for lack of proper maintenance. reports UNB.
According to boatmen, river vessels cannot ply on water-, ways of the region (hiring the lean period due to loss of navigability over 50-km areas of Kalni-Kushiyara and emergence of shoals at various points of the Surma river.
As a result, transportation of raw materials from the country’s northeastern part to other regions Is severely being hampered.
When hundreds of acres of land remain fellow in the dry season for want of irrigation, floodwaters wash away standing crops from vast tracts of land during monsoon in the region.
The low-lying areas of 22 upazilas and parts of 1 1 upazilas in Sylhet, Sunamganj,
Habiganj. Netrakona. Kishore-ganj and Brahmanbarla districts are known as haor' or b-had' regions.
According to official statistics. a number of different sizes of rivers. Including 289-km Surma. 228-km Kalni-Kushi-yara and 235-km Boulai. DUauu, Ghora and.Utra, run through the haor areas.
The livelihoods of nearly one crore people living in the region are dependent on the rivers that are now dying.
Expert said the course of Kushiyara river is slowly but surely changing and it has been occurring since mid-20th century. taking thousands of tons of soil into Its gorge from its both sides. And this mud. according to the experts, ultimately thickens on the riverbed, affecting the environment.
They said some 35-kin areas from Madna to Ajmiriganj on Bhairab-Ajmiriganj route have already silted up, disrupting river traffic at the downstream of Kalni-Kushiyara for 4-5
months from December to April each year.
Locals alleged that no government since the country's independence 29 years ago has taken any initiatives to re-excavate the rivers.
Besides, unabated emergence of shoals is rapidly closing the pstupry of Meghna and it may cause permanent water stagnation or flood tn the haor areas. ■
Meanwhile, business activities in 50 commercial hubs of the region, including Adampur. Abdullahpur. KaKailchheo, Ajmiriganj, Enayetganj, Nabi-ganj, Makurliraniganj and Sherpur, have been on the wane due to frequent disruption of goods.
Freight charges have also multiplied in the region, pushing up the prices of agricultural produces and other essential commodities.
The experts feel that salvaging the boatmen as well as the fishermen of the region from an impending crisis means immediate re-excavation of the rivers.