PHOTO: JAHIDUL ISLAM

OUR CORRESPONDENT, Narsingdi

Unchecked industrial pollution has endangered the rivers flowing through Narsingdi district, while leaving the riverbank communities and ecosystems vulnerable.

Narsingdi is crisscrossed by a number of rivers, including the Shitalakkhya, Meghna, Brahmaputra, Arial Kha, Haridhoya, Paharia, Haridhoa and the Old Brahmaputra rivers.

Over the past decades, industrial establishments that have expanded rapidly along the riverbanks continued to discharge untreated toxic wastes directly into the rivers using pipelines, thereby polluting the water and leading to an escalating environmental crisis.

Illegal encroachment on riverbank areas and declining navigability of the rivers further worsened the situation. For much of the year, even small boats find it difficult to ply many stretches of the rivers due to poor navigability.

Despite a government initiative to re-excavate around 232 kilometres of river channels to restore navigability, pollution remains a persistent challenge for its implementation.

Even during monsoon, when water levels typically rise, dissolved oxygen levels in the rivers still remain critically low, making it impossible for fish and other aquatic species to survive.

According to a study by the River and Delta Research Centre, the 38km Haridhoa river ranks second among the most polluted rivers in the country. The river’s dissolved oxygen level stands at just 0.6 mg/L, while alkalinity has reached 4.1, posing serious risks to both biodiversity and human health.

Many residents living along the river have been suffering from skin diseases from exposure to the polluted water. Fish and other aquatic organisms are gradually being wiped out from the river’s water.

Meanwhile, the river has also shrunk to a narrow channel due to poor flow and encroachments.

Field observations reveal that a similar situation prevails in the case of most other rivers in Narsingdi.

In recent years, mass fish deaths have been reported during winter along stretches of the Shitalakkhya from Kapasia to Ghorashal.

Proloy Zaman, general secretary of Narsingdi Environment Movement, said that poisonous gases and chemical waste from certain factories are responsible for recurring fish deaths.

“If this continues, the environment will face a serious crisis, fish production will decline, and livelihoods will be endangered,” he warned, urging authorities to take immediate action.

Sources said the immediate past interim government had allocated Tk 10 crore through the Department of Environment to address Haridhoa’s pollution. The fund was handed over to the Bangladesh Water Development Board for pollution control and improving riverbank accessibility. However, DoE officials claimed that their share of the allocation has yet to be disbursed, even after a year.

Md Badrul Huda, DoE deputy director in Narsingdi, said investigations are underway to determine the exact causes of pollution and fish mortality.

“Necessary actions will be taken against those responsible after discussions at the National River Conservation Commission,” he added.