AMINUL ISLAM, Mymensingh

The Rangsa river, a tributary of the Old Brahmaputra in Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh, was once an important waterway for transporting goods to different destinations in the region.

The river flowed through Dadra, Kakni and Balikhan unions in the upazila before connecting with other rivers across Mymensingh Sadar.

Today, the river is all but lost to oblivion. It has been reduced to a shadow of its former self and is gradually being choked.

About 10 years ago, a regulator was constructed on the river at its confluence in Mymensingh Sadar. Over the years, this caused extensive siltation, significantly restricting the river’s natural flow. Water hyacinths have further worsened the situation by taking over the entire waterbody.

To make matters worse, influential quarters have been grabbing parts of the river and constructing various structures amid negligence by local authorities.

“In Rangsa’s halcyon days, people could easily transport jute and other goods, including agricultural produce, by boat during the monsoon. Now, with its natural flow severely restrained, the river’s water has become stagnant and has been covered by water hyacinths and weeds for the past 10 years,” said Azizul Islam, 73, of Kakni village.

Sarwar Hossain, a farmer from the same locality, said other small waterbodies connected to the river are also facing the same fate.

Locals alleged that influential quarters have been grabbing the river’s land and creating obstructions to its flow for paddy cultivation and fish farming throughout the year, while authorities have turned a blind eye.

ATM Robilul Karim, a senior journalist, said if Rangsa could be saved, it would significantly enhance the region’s agricultural productivity.

Advocate Shibbir Ahmed Liton, secretary of local environmental platform Poribesh Rokhha O Unnayan Andolon, urged the authorities concerned to evict the illegal grabbers, remove structures built on the river’s land, clear the water hyacinths, and excavate the river to restore its natural flow.

SM Abid Hossain, sub-divisional engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board in Mymensingh, said siltation at the confluence of the Rangsa and Old Brahmaputra rivers has disrupted the regular flow for a decade.

“There is also a regulator at that point in the Rambadhrapur area, but it is 4.50-metre wide whereas the river’s width is more than 10 metres. As such, water cannot pass through during the monsoon,” he said, adding that a proposal for dredging the Rangsa has been sent to higher authorities for approval.

Md Aminul Islam, UNO of Tarakanda and president of the upazila unit of Nodi Rokhha Committee, said several illegal structures had recently been removed from different parts of the river.

“Further steps will be taken soon against grabbers,” the UNO said.