RAJSHAHI, Both solid and liquid waste is dumped indiscriminately into thePadma river posing a long-term threat to water pollution and river erosion.
Talking to BSS here Tuesday, Professor Mijanur Rahman of the Department of
Geography and Environmental Sciences at Rajshahi University (RU) said solid
and liquid waste dumped into the Padma and along the city protection
embankment.
The River Padma in Rajshahi has fallen prey to illegal grabbing and pollution
as solid waste such as broken tiles of houses and discarded pieces of
concrete are dumped on the banks, he said.
Mijanur Rahman mentioned that the decline in the diversity of fish has been
identified due to encroaching into the river, indiscriminate fish, illegal
fishing gear uses, agrochemical contamination of river water and plastic
pollution.
Prof Rahman said: "A few years ago, I studied the liquid waste going through
the sluice gate of the Water Development Board in the River Padma and found a
huge level of pollution and it is growing."
"The number of fish has also greatly decreased. Besides, the use of river
water for agriculture is also posing health risks, since research has shown
the water of the Padma has been found to contain metals," he said, adding
that various institutions and factories should have effluent treatment
plants, which are not available in Rajshahi.
On the other hand, there are 20,000-25,000 registered and unregistered easy
bikes in the city. Garages of these easy bikes dump acid from their batteries
into sewage drains that lead into the River Padma, which are toxic for all
aquatic organisms, Prof Rahman continued.
Arifur Rahman Ankur, executive engineer of Rajshahi Water Development Board,
said the liquid waste of the city flows into the Padma through five sluice
gates, however, when the water level rises during the monsoon the gates are
closed preventing water from entering the city.
Household waste from the surrounding areas was found being dumped in the
river, particularly in Bulanpur, Keshabpur, Srirampur, Kumarpara, Sekher
Chowk, Panchabati, Talaimari and Shampur areas.
Besides, several restaurants have been set up at various places of the city,
including Pathanpara, Dargarapara, Barakuthi and Srirampur. All types of
plastic and polythene, and waste from these restaurants are dumped directly
into the river.
In addition, liquid waste also flows into the Padma through five sluice gates
of the city.
Runa Akhter, 54, who was dumping garbage in the river near Kumarpara, said
everyone in the neighbourhood dumps garbage into the river.
Garbage was also dumped indiscriminately into the T-dam in front of Keshabpur
Police Line. Plastic cups, bottles and polythene can be seen lying across the
embankment.
Golam Rasul has been running a pan-bidi shop on this dam for 15 years. He
said, "Waste has been dumped in the Padma river for a long time."
The liquid waste that flows into the river through the sluice gate from
within the city has more harmful elements in the Dargapara area. As a result,
water pollution of the Padma is increasing, threatening aquatic biodiversity
in the river.
Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of the Department of Geology and Mining at RU
said liquid waste has already destroyed the aquatic biodiversity of Baranai,
another river adjacent to the city.
He said no solid or liquid waste should be dumped into the river. This is
prohibited by law, because liquid waste mixes with water to create a
deficiency of biological oxygen, which kills aquatic animals.
Prof Chowdhury said out of the liquid waste that falls into the river Padma
through the sluice gate from the city, more harmful substances had been found
in the liquid waste in Dargapara area.
As a result of these wastes, water pollution of the Padma River is increasing
and its aquatic biodiversity will be threatened.
Because it has already been seen that the liquid waste of the city has also
fallen in the Baranai river under Paba upazila of Rajshahi and the aquatic
biodiversity there has been destroyed.
Mizanur Rahman, chairman of Save the Nature and Live, said: "Plastic waste
and polythene bags are the most harmful for the River Padma. We are not
seeing any benefits from the campaign to reduce the use of polythene."
He expressed concern that if the river pollution and encroachment are not
stopped now, it will have an adverse impact on the livelihood of people under
the Barind Tract.
If immediate action is not taken against river pollution, the livelihood of
the people under the Barind Tract will be severely affected, he added.
