[🇧🇩] Save the Rivers/Forests/Hills-----Save the Environment

[Saif]

From flowing lifelines to dry beds

Authorities must prioritise river protection

www.thedailystar.net

From flowing lifelines to dry beds
Authorities must prioritise river protection

Visual: Star

It is alarming that at least 79 of the 1,156 government-listed rivers in Bangladesh have either dried up or are in the process of doing so. According to a recent study by the Rivers and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), all these rivers are heavily silted and either fully or partially dry up during the lean season, primarily due to upstream water diversion. As a result, livelihoods, agriculture, and local biodiversity are under threat.

It is no secret that under the previous government, encroachment—particularly by influential quarters—became rampant, with little legal action taken against those responsible. The RDRC study has found that large portions of several rivers have vanished in recent years due to unchecked encroachment. So, we urge the authorities to take steps to protect these rivers by enforcing strict measures against encroachers, reducing pollution, preventing erosion, and restoring their ecosystems. A broader plan is also needed to facilitate and promote water transportation, which experts say is crucial for river conservation.

River transportation offers several other complimentary advantages as well. For instance, the study highlights that waterways are the most economical means of transport, with rivers and canals covering 24,000 km across the country. Road transport costs range from Tk 2.81 to Tk 3.51 per tonne per kilometre, while rail transport costs Tk 1.96 per tonne per kilometre. In contrast, water transport costs only Tk 1.12 per tonne per kilometre. Given this cost advantage, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) should introduce more riverine routes and encourage their use to reduce pressure on roads and railways.

However, even these measures may not be enough. Dams and upstream water diversions have altered the natural flow of our rivers, making it increasingly difficult for millions of Bangladeshis to fish, farm, and transport goods. As water availability in these rivers becomes increasingly unpredictable, entire communities that depend on them are struggling to survive. Beyond human impact, wildlife in these regions is also suffering due to habitat destruction, further disrupting the natural balance.

Therefore, the government must adopt a more proactive approach in engaging with upper riparian countries—particularly India—to protect our interests through effective diplomacy. For years, Bangladesh has failed to secure its rightful share of transboundary water, and this urgently needs to change. Strengthening water diplomacy is essential not only for the sustainable management of the country's rivers but also for ensuring their very survival.​

 

[Saif]

1,659 factories discharge waste to Dhaka rivers

At least 1,659 industrial units in a recent count have been found discharging untreated wastewater into canals, rivers and other open waterbodies, aggravating the condition of the already heavily polluted waterbodies.

www.newagebd.net

1,659 factories discharge waste to Dhaka rivers
Rashad Ahamad 22 March, 2025, 00:02

Untreated sewage is being released through a pipeline into the Buriganga River, contributing to the pollution in one of Bangladesh’s most contaminated rivers, in Islambagh’s Beribadh area of Dhaka. The photo is taken on Friday. | Md Saurav
World Water Day today

At least 1,659 industrial units in a recent count have been found discharging untreated wastewater into canals, rivers and other open waterbodies, aggravating the condition of the already heavily polluted waterbodies.

According to the Department of Environment, all these polluting factories are situated in and around Dhaka city and in different districts under the Dhaka division.

Pollution of waterbodies concentrate in the Dhaka division, experts said, adding that substantial information and data on water pollution outside this division is not much available so far.

Green activists allege that pollution of river water particularly intensifies around Dhaka city as the authorities have miserably failed to stop older sources of pollution, while new more sources have been added to the old ones.

The rivers around Dhaka city are so extremely polluted people of the riverbanks can neither use the water for meeting their daily necessities nor can the aquatic lives survive there.

Amid the reality, Bangladesh is set to celebrate World Water Day 2025 today.

Regarding the source of water pollution, Waterkeepers Bangladesh coordinator Sharif Jamil said that industrial waste and domestic waste are the main sources of pollution of the country’s rivers and other open waterbodies.

The Department of Environment officials recently said that they served final notice to the 1,659 errant industrial units they had listed releasing wastewater in the open waterbodies.

All these units would be shut down if they failed to stop the pollution, said DoE officials.

As for the causes of pollution, the officials said that while some factories did not have effluent treatment plants, some others did not run their ETPs regularly mainly to save money.

‘Many factories pollute water even after having ETPs to save cost,’ said DoE director general Md Kamruzzaman, adding that they would take tougher punitive actions against them.

DoE statistics show that of the water polluting factories, 128 are located under the Dhaka metropolitan area and the rest 1,531 are in Dhaka division.

Of them, 499 factories are in Dhaka district, 380 in Narayanganj, 519 are in Gazipur, 129 are in Narshingdi, one each in Tangail and Gopalganj districts.

DoE officials said that they had particularly identified textiles, washing and dyeing, and pharmaceuticals factory units and hospitals and clinics to lack ETPs.

Enamul Haque Shimul, director of Mita Fabrics Limited at Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj, said that like many other factories they also received the DoE notice.

‘We have an effluent treatment plant at the factory and no-objection certificate also. But the DoE, even it finds small anomalies, it serves notices. It’s a regular thing,’ he said.

Municipal solid waste and sewage waste are two other major sources of river pollution, green activists said.

They allege that river pollution has worsened over the years as the authorities have failed to take effective measures to curb it although they are very much aware of the situation.

A study conducted conducted in December 2024 by the DoE and the River and Delta Research Centre, a private research institution, using satellite imagery and field surveys has identified the extent of pollution in the Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya and Balu rivers that surround the Dhaka city.

The study report, published in January this year, identified 1,024 pollution points, mainly linked to industrial waste discharge, municipal waste dumping, sewerage outlets, connecting canals and solid waste dumping stations.

In 2020, the number of identified pollution points was 608, the report mentioned.

In 2022, however, the National River Conservation Commission identified 693 pollution sources.

According to the DoE and River and Delta Research Centre study, 102 industrial waste release points discharge untreated pollutants into the rivers, while 75 municipal sewerage lines and 216 private sewerage outlets contribute to the contamination.

The study also highlights 38 sluice gates and 62 service canals acting as pollutant conduits. Additionally, 144 large waste dump stations and 297 smaller dumping points have been identified as major contributors to indiscriminate waste disposal. Also 12 dockyards along with 46 factory units and 36 kitchen markets have also been cited as key pollution sources.

Environmentalist Syeda Rizwana Hasan, also adviser for the ministry of environment, forest and climate change to the interim government, said that inaction of government agencies over the years resulted in the intense pollution of the rivers surrounding the capital.

The interim government undertook initiatives to stop the rampant pollution, she said, adding that revival of the city canals was part of the plan.

In the first phase, 19 canals were targeted for restoration, protection from pollution and encroachment, Rizwana said.

‘The government is preparing an action plan to restore the Buriganga and other rivers with the Asian Development Bank support. Over time, the rivers will regenerate,’ she further said.

The DoE and River and Delta Research Centre study identified 525 pollution sources in the Buriganga, 97 in the Turag, 173 in the Shitalakkhya, and 33 in the Balu River.

Although the government relocated the heavily polluting tannery industry from Hazaribagh to Harindhara in Savar in 2017, the pollution level now remains higher than it was in 2010.

The relocation project, which aimed to free the Buriganga from pollution, cost Tk 1,078.71 crore.

Under the Buriganga revival project, the Bangladesh Water Development Board has so far spent over Tk 1,100 crore since 2010, but all the initiatives have borne hardly any fruit.

Sharif Jamil alleges that the government’s piecemeal measures have been marred by corruption failed to bring any tangible results.

According to the DoE’s latest 2024 Surface and Ground Water Quality Report, the water quality in Dhaka’s rivers remained ‘alarming’ for 11 months of the year, except for July, the peak monsoon period.

The DoE monitors water pollution at 102 points across 29 rivers and three lakes nationwide.

The report has also found dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand levels at critically low level, sometimes dropping to 0.0 milligrams per litre, far below the acceptable levels for most of the year.

Joshadhan Pramanik, founder and coordinator of the Project for Ensuring Food and Shelter for Birds in Banpara, Natore, alleges that the entire drainage networks in the country discharge sewerage and other waste into rivers, posing severe public health risks.

He said that since 2017, he has been urging the authorities to stop connecting sewer lines to rivers, but his appeals have been ignored outright.

In November 2023, the Local Government Division instructed city corporations and water supply and sewerage authorities to cut off drainage connections to rivers, but no effective actions came so far.

River experts while saying that the number of pollution sources and their intensity of pollution increased over the years, identified public agencies, including Dhaka WASA, as among the top polluters of the rivers.

Sharif Jamil stressed a comprehensive approach to address pollution.

‘The government must ensure that no public agency pollutes the water and that industrial units comply with environmental regulations,’ he said.​

 

[Saif]

Govt should have woken up to conserve rivers long ago

SAVING rivers is, no doubt, an uphill task. In a situation, where rivers are encroached on, choked and strangled in all the manners that an absence of concrete plans to save the rivers allow, with all quarters, even...

www.newagebd.net

Govt should have woken up to conserve rivers long ago
22 March, 2025, 00:00

SAVING rivers is, no doubt, an uphill task. In a situation, where rivers are encroached on, choked and strangled in all the manners that an absence of concrete plans to save the rivers allow, with all quarters, even public agencies, joining in, it is, indeed, so. But, it does not necessarily suggest that there is no point in trying to save the rivers. What the situation, rather, suggests that there should be adequately stringent measures, well grounded in the required earnestness, especially on part of the government, to effectively and sustainably protect and conserve the rivers. All the while, there have only been discussions, debates, instructions, legal proceedings and instructions to save the rivers, but nothing of them appears to have ever got off the ground well. And, all this results in continued encroachment on the rivers and an unabated pollution of the river water. Rivers become moribund and they, finally, die, perhaps. The photograph that New Age published on its front page on March 21, which shows the erection of structures bordering the demarcation pillars on the bank of the River Sitalakhya in Narayanganj is only an added example of such encroachment efforts.

This is not only another example of encroachment on the Sitalakhya, but there are potentially hundreds of similar incidents taking place along all rivers, major or minor, perhaps more in cities and in outlying areas. And, there is now way that the authorities responsible for the protection of the rivers are not in the know of them. They conveniently choose to look the other way, allowing the depredation of the rivers to perpetually continue. The case of river protection or conservation has traditionally been episodes of drive, ineffective implementation of the plans that are mostly viewed as flawed and no sustainable plans to keep the river land already reclaimed well protected. All this results in recurrent incidents of encroachment after some days or months after reclamation drives. What appears to be lying at the heart of the problem is the absence of the will of the government or the agencies that the government invests with the task of reclamation and conservation. Nothing seems to be effectively getting off even after the court issues order after order, the government issues instruction after instruction and agencies implement plan after plan. Whilst what appears lacking is the earnestness that the government should show in the tasks, corruption and clout, moneyed or political, is also blamed for the situation.

The government should have woken up to reclaim and conserve the rivers long ago. It is, therefore, time that the government wasted no time in taking the right measures.​

 

[Saif]

WATER RESOURCES: From global to local context

WATER is life. It is the foundation of human civilisation that is a central element in socio-cultural and economic activities. Water is a finite natural resource, where both quantity and quality are crucial to the environment, which...

www.newagebd.net

WATER RESOURCES: From global to local context
by Md Sohrab Ali 21 March, 2025, 22:31

Plastic bags dumped along a river stretch in Dhaka. | Agence France-Presse/Munir uz Zaman

WATER is life. It is the foundation of human civilisation that is a central element in socio-cultural and economic activities. Water is a finite natural resource, where both quantity and quality are crucial to the environment, which encompasses all living and non-living elements. It is a fundamental input in food production, essential for household needs, energy generation, industrial production and the functioning of water-dependent ecosystems that sustain the flow of ecosystem services.

Globally, water resources are under unprecedented pressure because of a rapid demographic growth, already exceeding eight billion, which has led to ab increasing demand and competition for water alongside economic developments. The strain on the planet’s water resources is exacerbated by multiple effects of climate change, poor management and pollution. Water crises have played a pivotal role in both peace-making and conflict, sometimes even threatening national sovereignty. Water diplomacy is, thus, an important factor in geopolitics. Additionally, water crises trigger forced migration, social disparity by way of increasing living costs, production failures and famine resulting from the degradation of natural resources and biodiversity loss, ultimately leading to social unrest and instability.

Access to water is a human right. Yet, 2.2 billion people live without safely managed drinking water services, with devastating consequences for their lives and wider society. Per capita water availability is declining. By 2025, it is estimated that 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions experiencing ‘absolute’ water scarcity, with less than 500 cubic meters a year a person, while two-thirds of the global population could be living under ‘stress’ conditions, with water between 500 and 1000 cubic meters a year a person. Looking ahead, climate change and increasing bio-energy demands are expected to further complicate the already complex relationship between global development and water demand.

The declining trend in freshwater availability worldwide is expected to have significant economic and political impacts, raising serious concerns about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The world will need to produce an estimated 60 per cent more food by 2050 to ensure global food security. Against this backdrop, the United Nations observes World Water Day annually on March 22, focusing on the importance of freshwater and inspiring action to address the global water crisis. Water is also at the heart of climate change adaptation, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human society and the environment.

Bangladesh is not exempt from this global freshwater crisis. Yet, there is no clear data on per capita freshwater availability. Furthermore, there is neither an accurate estimate of the country’s future freshwater needs nor a clear assessment of the potential for water resource development. However, there is clear evidence of a widening gap between water supply and demand as well as increasing river pollution. Numerous reports highlight the shrinking of freshwater bodies such as rivers, bils, canals, etc because of siltation, drying up, encroachment, and waste dumping. Consequently, Bangladesh risks losing its identity as a ‘riverine country.’ The degradation of surface water and erratic rainfall because of climate change have led to an increasing dependence on groundwater abstraction for both agriculture and urban life, causing alarming declines in the water table in areas such as the Barind Tract, Dhaka and Gazipur.

Bangladesh faces immense challenges in meeting the growing demands for food and other resources from its expanding population, all while contending with diminishing natural resources such as land and water. This issue is largely due to the failure to align the country’s ecological carrying capacity with population planning, urbanisation and industrialisation. Additionally, the inadequate integration of science with policy (laws and regulations) and weak enforcement mechanisms have exacerbated the problem.

Milestone events in the history of global environmental degradation include the Neolithic Revolution (~12,000 years ago), the Industrial Revolution (1750s) and the Green Revolution (1960s), all of which have sometimes caused irreversible damage to the environment and loss of biodiversity. Across the globe, there are numerous examples of water body pollution, including the Thames River in England, the Rhine in Europe, the Han in South Korea, the Singapore River and Dokai Bay in Japan, where indiscriminate dumping of municipal, industrial and agricultural waste led to severe contamination. The nations, despite achieving financial prosperity with per capita incomes of around $26,000, paid a heavy ecological and human cost before eventually undertaking extensive clean-up efforts.

Many unknowingly followed the flawed principle of ‘grow first, clean later.’ Similarly, Bangladesh embarked on industrialisation in the 1980s without learning lessons from past environmental destruction although it had already been evident that economic development and environmental protection could go hand-in-hand. The government has declared 13 areas, including four rivers around the Dhaka city, as ‘ecologically critical areas.’ They are ecologically dysfunctional and no longer capable of providing essential ecosystem services. Despite the devastation, Bangladesh’s current per capita income stands at about $2,738.

Dissolved oxygen is a crucial indicator of water system health as all aquatic life depends on it for respiration. Dissolved oxygen levels are inversely related to pollution levels in water bodies. In February 2025, average dissolved oxygen levels (mg/litre) in the Buriganga (0.29), the Sitalakkhya (0.41), the Turag (1.3) and the Balu (2.13 in December 2024) were significantly below the Environmental Quality Standard of 5 mg/litre.

A study conducted in 2012–2021 showed that pollution load (biochemical oxygen demand) has been gradually increasing in the River Dhaleshwari, with pollution levels far exceeding the Environmental Quality Standard, reaching 6 mg/litre, particularly during the dry winter season (~16 mg/litre) compared with the wet season (~10 mg/litre), causing a corresponding decline in dissolved oxygen below the Environmental Quality Standard.

In December 2024, dissolved oxygen levels in the Jamuna (~6 mg/litre) and the Padma (~7 mg/litre) were slightly above the Environmental Quality Standard. Rivers in Bangladesh’s south are increasingly affected by salinity, which worsens during the dry season (eg, the Bhairab, with ~12 decisiemens per meter, the Rupsha with ~15 dS/m, and the Khakshiali with ~19 dS/m) whereas good quality water for irrigation and crop production should have salinity levels below 2 dS/m.

The Meghna, a tidal river, is facing similar pollution challenges. From Narayanganj launch terminal (where the Sitalakkhya meets the Meghna) and downstream, dissolved oxygen levels are significantly below the Environmental Quality Standard. But, the levels improve downstream towards Moahonpur launch terminal (5.68 mg/L), Ekhlaspur launch terminal (6.83 mg/L) and Chandpur. Additionally, NH4 as N (0.63–3.54 mg/L) and PO4 as P (0.86–4.0 mg/L) were far higher than the EQS thresholds of 0.3 mg/litre and 0.5 mg/litre. Further investigation is needed, but immediate attention is required to save the Meghna from pollution. Otherwise, the growing gap between water demand and supply for households, industry and agriculture will only worsen.

The major causes of water resource degradation include: the dumping of municipal, industrial and agricultural waste into water bodies and illegal land-filling; reduced upstream water flow; decreased water-holding capacity because of siltation and encroachment; climate change-induced erratic rainfall and increased evapotranspiration; a lack of public awareness; and the over-abstraction and misuse of groundwater.

A holistic approach is needed, encompassing proper environmental management, pollution control, regulatory updates, strengthened enforcement, linking ecological carrying capacity to development, and integrating environmental considerations into public and private sector projects to save water resources. Additionally, initiatives such as river restoration, rainwater harvesting and improved water use efficiency must be prioritised. Ultimately, safeguarding interests requires environmental consciousness and sustainable resource management.

Dr Md Sohrab Ali is additional director general at the environment department.​

 

[Saif]

Sutang river: Once a lifeline, now a toxic stream

Experts say that due to the pollution, oxygen levels in most parts of the river have dropped to the point where aquatic life can no longer survive.

www.thedailystar.net

Sutang river: Once a lifeline, now a toxic stream

Photo: Mintu Deshwara

Once a lifeline for thousands, the Sutang river is now on the deathbed.

Once teeming with fish and other aquatic life, this vital waterway in Habiganj has turned into a toxic stream due to industrial waste.

According to sources, 35 to 40 factories along the riverbank -- producing plastics, food and beverages, textiles, stationery, and ceramics -- discharge untreated industrial waste into the river, contaminating its waters.

Photo: Mintu Deshwara

Experts say that due to the pollution, oxygen levels in most parts of the river have dropped to the point where aquatic life can no longer survive.

Tofazzal Sohel, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Habiganj, said the river is now devoid of fish.

Photo: Mintu Deshwara

"On February 22, we cast nets at 12 locations and found almost no aquatic life. The only catch was a few small fish, including a dead one. In several other locations, nets retrieved only garbage, with no signs of live fish, frogs, or even snails and oysters," he said.

The pollution has affected local livelihoods. Fishermen who once depended on the river for chital fish have lost their source of income.

Mahbubul Mia, a fisherman from Sutang village, along with several others, said, "For generations, we made a living from fishing, but those days are gone. I have now switched to driving a rickshaw because the river is dead now."

He blamed the lack of oversight from the relevant authorities and public representatives for the current state of the river.

"The Sutang's water is now black and murky, emitting a strong stench. Not only have fish disappeared from the polluted river, but other aquatic life is also dying," he added.

Joytara Bibi, a farmer from Nurpur village, said she no longer uses the river.

"Due to pollution, the water is unsafe for people, animals, and birds," she said.

Ranjit Paul, a potter from Pal Bari, said the soil has even become unusable for his crafts.

Local trader Subash Das said the stench from the river persists even with doors and windows closed.

He noted that pollution has also disrupted an annual religious event where devotees gathered for a holy bath in the Lakhai section of the river.

"With the water so polluted, it's become impossible to carry on this tradition," he added.

A research team from Habiganj Agricultural University is conducting a study of the river's water quality and aquatic life.

Iftekhar Ahmed Fagun, a lecturer from the Department of Aquatic Resource Management at the university, said laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of microplastics in water and fish samples.

Industrial waste has severely affected the river's physicochemical properties, making it uninhabitable for aquatic organisms.

Preliminary findings show critically low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, high electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) beyond the optimal range for freshwater ecosystems.

No fish or aquatic organisms were found near the Shailjora canal, where industrial waste enters the river.

Md Shakir Ahammed, a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Science and project lead, said further tests are being conducted to determine the presence of heavy metals.

He emphasised the need for stricter regulations on industrial waste disposal to prevent further ecological damage.

Md Ferdous Anwar, director of Department of Environment of Sylhet, told this correspondent that his office had sent an action plan with 8/9 recommendations to headquarters regarding the river.

"If the plan is approved, the river can be saved. We are taking measures to monitor the industries 24 hours," he added.

The Sutang River, a transboundary waterway between Bangladesh and India, spans 82 kilometers and has an average width of 36 meters.

It originates in Tripura, India, and enters Bangladesh through Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj before merging with the Kalni River in Lakhai upazila.​

 

[Saif]

Reduce overreliance on groundwater

Govt must explore alternative fresh water sources

www.thedailystar.net

Reduce overreliance on groundwater
Govt must explore alternative fresh water sources

We are alarmed by the rapid decline in groundwater levels across the country, particularly in Dhaka, Gazipur, and the Barind region, due to excessive extraction. According to reports, residents on the city's outskirts are facing acute shortages of fresh water, primarily due to WASA's ineffective management of groundwater. The crisis is particularly severe in areas like Vakurta, Baherchar, Battoli Bazar, Balughata, and Bauta, where numerous pumps installed by WASA about a decade ago have contributed to the depletion of groundwater. As a result, around 20,000 hand-operated tube wells have dried up entirely. Residents of these areas now struggle to access water, with their tube wells yielding water only during the rainy season and remaining dry throughout the rest of the year.

The rapid decline in groundwater levels, however, is not confined to the above-mentioned areas—it has impacted numerous other regions across the country, making crop cultivation increasingly challenging. Clearly, this situation has arisen due to our excessive reliance on groundwater and the lack of attention to alternative water sources. A 2022 study analysed 40 years of data from 465 shallow groundwater monitoring wells of the Bangladesh Water Development Board. It examined groundwater usage and levels during the dry season and revealed that due to extensive water usage, the groundwater level in two-thirds of the country is declining. In many areas, including Dhaka, the groundwater levels have fallen by an average of one to three meters.

For instance, groundwater levels in Godagari, Rajshahi, which were previously recharged to 16-18 meters during the rainy season in the 1980s, have not surpassed 16 meters since 2010. Due to a lack of water, the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has limited Boro rice cultivation this year in eight upazilas across three districts of the Barind region—Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon. In Kaliganj, Gazipur, the groundwater recharge levels have dropped from 6 meters in 1990 to 3 meters since 2015. In Dohar, Dhaka, recharge decreased from 4 meters to 3 meters by 2015.

The question is, what can the government do now to recharge the groundwater levels across the country, especially in the capital, where 70 percent of the water supply comes from underground sources? Our water experts provided solutions long ago: minimise groundwater extraction and utilise water from nearby rivers instead. Unfortunately, two crucial projects—the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant (Phase-3) and the Meghna River Protection Master Plan—aimed at reducing the city's excessive dependence on groundwater, have been stalled for nearly a decade. The government must prioritise and expedite their implementation. Furthermore, it should consider various other methods, suggested by experts, for artificial groundwater recharging. Without immediate action, groundwater levels in Dhaka's densely populated areas could plummet to 100 meters by 2050. Therefore, the government needs to take urgent action to address the issue.​

 

[Saif]

New leadership, old rivers, and the long road to clean water

New efforts to clean Bangladesh's rivers offer hope, but community involvement and innovation are key.

www.thedailystar.net

New leadership, old rivers, and the long road to clean water

The cleanup efforts of rivers like the Buriganga need community involvement and innovative approaches. The photo was taken in March 2025. PHOTO: ANISUR RAHMAN

Of the 200 crore people around the world who lack access to safe drinking water, seven crore live in Bangladesh. That's 3.5 percent of the global population. In real terms, it means two out of every five people in this country rely on contaminated water.

Sanitation doesn't look any better. Forty-one percent of the population still doesn't have access to improved or basic sanitation. That's around seven crore people deprived of a basic human need, and constantly exposed to diseases, because they either don't know better or simply don't have access to anything better.

So, when we look at SDG 6—access to clean water and sanitation for all—it's no surprise that Bangladesh is way off track. With just five years left before 2030, Bangladesh's SDG tracker shows that, out of eight targets and 11 indicators, we're only likely to meet one: Indicator 6.1.1, "Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services". That's under Target 6.1, which aims for universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. Reality? Very different.

And I say "it's no surprise" because Bangladesh officially pledged to achieve the SDGs in 2015, when the UN member-states adopted the agenda. On paper, things looked okay. Rivers were declared as "living entities" (like in five other countries), monitoring bodies like the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) were set up to track river health, a cluster of regulatory bodies were formed, and even the former prime minister herself was put in charge of the National Water Resource Council. This council was supposed to meet annually, review reports, and coordinate action. Guess how many times they met? Zero.

As of 2022, if you went to the Ministry of Water Resources or the NRCC, you wouldn't find updated databases or credible reporting on river conditions. Even in 2025, we still don't know how many rivers are intact.

What we do know is that Sheikh Hasina's government turned the whole system into a playground for syndicates. I spent two years reporting on rivers, and I can tell you most of the big stories weren't about solutions. They were about river dredging cartels selling sand to buyers with no names and no faces, pollution that no one was being held accountable for, floods, neglected communities, no awareness, no manpower, no drive to engage the people most affected—basically, the lack of everything.

Here's what surprised me, though. Usually, it's the people at the top eating the biggest slices of the cake. But when it came to looting public resources, the rot started from the bottom. Union parishad members, chairmen, and local muscle (many too dangerous to name) were cashing in. During the dry season, they'd create land out of embankments, blocking river flow, messing with navigation, and flooding low-lying areas.

When I asked an NRCC official how often the ministries sit for meetings, he said, "Barely, but they do sit." I asked why the minutes weren't uploaded to the website, he pointed to a lack of manpower. Then he paused and asked if what he was saying would be published. After I assured him it wouldn't, he sighed in relief, "Because we can't disclose how things operate. Especially in light of recent events." That "recent event" was the sudden removal of Dr Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury from his post as NRCC chairman. His termination came barely three weeks after he publicly criticised "a female minister from Chandpur." It was an unceremonious end to what was a brief but fierce tenure—one where, for once, someone dared to challenge powerful people for their alleged role in environmental damage. A rare exception in a long line of otherwise pliant former bureaucrats who usually lead these bodies.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) official I spoke to carried the same weight of caution, careful with every word he said. But one thing stood out. The government only owned 15 dredgers, despite the ministry getting an annual budget in crores. Suddenly, it made sense why private companies get these dredging contracts, and then dredge wherever, however deep, for however long they please. No oversight. No accountability. No concern for communities. Just business.

These conversations made something painfully clear: the lack of freedom of speech has choked even the most basic forms of transparency. You can't even ask simple questions—like whether people are doing their jobs, whether meetings are happening, whether data is being tracked—without stepping on toes.

Thankfully though, we're now in the hands of someone capable. Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a woman on a mission, has taken on the mammoth task of showing the youth of Bangladesh what clean, pollution-free rivers look like. This is a journey I'm personally excited for.

Back in September, she pledged to clean up eight rivers in eight districts. But on February 11, she announced that the government had initiated a working plan to clean four major rivers surrounding the capital: Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakkhya. Just days earlier, on February 2, in a step towards restoring Dhaka's waterways, three advisers of the interim government inaugurated excavation work in six canals. The project aims to improve water flow, combat pollution, and reclaim the canals from decades of neglect. These are essential moves, both environmentally and urbanly.

Besides this, the initial work of the long-awaited Teesta River project has finally resumed, bringing renewed hope to the communities living along its banks. If implemented well, the project will curb bank erosion, reclaim land, and store floodwater for use during the dry season.

If one takes a closer look, they'll notice how each of these moves directly addresses the indicators of SDG 6. If given five more years, at this rate, the environment adviser might meet her original goal—maybe not just eight rivers, but more. Only time will tell.

The only qualm I have with the current efforts, and one that could perhaps accelerate river cleanups even further, is the lack of community involvement and innovative approaches. Recently, Bangladesh sought US assistance for the restoration of the Buriganga River. But what would help more is collaboration with independent organisations. For example, River Cleanup, a Belgium-based international non-profit, structures its work around the theory of change and actively involves local communities while building awareness of plastic pollution. Or take the Seabin, an innovation by an Australian start-up that helps collect garbage before it enters the ocean. These are short-term solutions, but effective. If innovation is truly sought, it will be found. And if help is asked for, it should be specific and directed at organisations that can help solve our river problems in tangible ways.

This is not to say that we are not moving in the right direction; we are. This is just to say that the movement can grow louder—from a cautious step to a collective roar, one where communities care for rivers again and become part of the change. If anything, I'm just glad that we've gone from having no meetings to finding meeting minutes available on ministry websites.

The times, they are a-changin'. Thank goodness.

Nazifa Raidah is a journalist, researcher, and development practitioner.​

 

[Saif]

Govt should have earnestness, will to end river pollution

THE pollution of rivers, especially the four that surround the Dhaka city and generally all of them that flow through the Dhaka division, runs high whilst there may not be any rivers in outlying areas that are free of pollution. The environment department says that at least 1,659 industrial...

www.newagebd.net

Govt should have earnestness, will to end river pollution
23 March, 2025, 00:00

THE pollution of rivers, especially the four that surround the Dhaka city and generally all of them that flow through the Dhaka division, runs high whilst there may not be any rivers in outlying areas that are free of pollution. The environment department says that at least 1,659 industrial units discharge untreated waste water into canals, rivers and other water bodies. And most such factories are located in and around the Dhaka city and in other districts of the division. Official statistics show that 128 of the factories are located in the metropolitan area and 1,531 are in the division. Gazipur is reported to have 519 such factories, Dhaka 499, Narayanganj 380 and Narsingdi 129. No data on the situation in outlying areas are available. Yet, the data at hand show that river pollution mainly takes place around the Dhaka city. And, green campaigners put this down to the failure of authorities to deal with pollution sources. New sources of pollution keep coming up, compounding the situation. Experts say that industrial and municipal wastes majorly contribute to the pollution of rivers and water bodies. The situation has only worsened over the years in the absence of effective steps.

A December 2024 survey, which has published the report in January, has identified 1,024 points that discharge industrial effluents, municipal waste and sewage and are responsible for the pollution of the Buriganga, the Sitalakhya, the Turag and the Balu. The number of such points was 693 in 2022 and 608 in 2020. The growing number shows the inefficiency of all the public agencies that are mandated to stop river pollution. Or, this could well be the unwillingness of the agencies as corruption has all along been reported to be at the heart of the failures of the authorities to attend to the situation. Whilst many of the factories do not have any effluent treatment plants — and they are said to get away by somehow managing the administration — some of the factories that do have treatment plants are reported to be discharging the effluents without treatment so as to save money. Environmental officials list textile, washing, dyeing and pharmaceutical factories and hospitals and clinics that mostly do not have waste-water treatment plants. Experts say that some public agencies, especially the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, are major polluters of the rivers. The environment department says that it has served notices to the 1,659 factories, noting that it would take action if the units do not take measures. But such warnings in the past have not worked.

What the government, therefore, needs is the earnestness and will to end river pollution effectively and sustainably.​

 

[Saif]

Loss of glaciers threatens life on the planet

If the Amazon serves as the planet's lungs, glaciers provide the world population with freshwater that sustains life together with oxygen. A piece of highly disconcerting news is that following the ravage of the Amazon, the 275,000 glaciers in all 19 regions of the world have shrunk due to climate

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Loss of glaciers threatens life on the planet
Neil Ray
Published :
Mar 23, 2025 23:18
Updated :
Mar 23, 2025 23:18

If the Amazon serves as the planet's lungs, glaciers provide the world population with freshwater that sustains life together with oxygen. A piece of highly disconcerting news is that following the ravage of the Amazon, the 275,000 glaciers in all 19 regions of the world have shrunk due to climate change for the third consecutive year. Five of the last six years have witnessed the most rapid shrinking of glaciers, 2023 being the worst year for this alarming phenomenon. The year 2024 is the fourth worst in order since the maintenance of glacier record started in 1975.

The message is clear. Unless the sources of sweet water can be preserved from rapid melting, the survival of the humankind will be at stake. Called the Earth's frozen 'water tower', the glaciers together with ice caps store 68.7 per cent of the world's fresh water. But the ice sheets of the Antarctic and Greenland have 99 per cent share of the freshwater ice of the planet. This means that only 1.0 per cent of the freshwater obtained from the glaciers and ice caps has been in use for the more than 8.0 billion population of the world. Then only 1.2 per cent of the freshwater is surface water that meets most of life's requirements. According to the World Water Council, less than 1.0 per cent of freshwater is readily usable by people. No wonder that 2.0 billion people have no access to clean drinking water.

Indisputably, the global warming is responsible for rapid melting of the glaciers. Well, in summer the glaciers which are present in every continent except Australia must thaw in order to replenish the decline in water flows that starts in the winter when water freezes to make up for lost mass and continues up to late summer. If the environmental cycle did not maintain such a seasonal routine, life on the planet would be anything but what it is now. However, this routine is under threat with the excessive thawing of the glaciers and the loss of their masses. The world Meteorological Organisation (WMO), on calculation from data generated by the Swiss-based World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) finds that the glaciers together lost 450 billion tons of mass in 2024 alone.

It unfolds a dire prospect, especially for some regions. Glaciers in western Canada, the United States, the Scandinavia, central Europe the Caucasus and New Zealand are predicted to disappear within this millennium if the global warming continues at the current rate. Earlier, similar apprehension was expressed over the sustainability of the Himalayan glaciers. Rapid melting of glaciers raises the spectre of great floods, landslides and avalanches. However, melting of a portion of the glaciers at a reasonable level is necessary to maintain the water levels in rivers and other water bodies. Rain and water from the glaciers together make up for the depletion of water in rivers that flow through the lower riparian regions to meet the seas or oceans. Seas and oceans send clouds that gather at the peaks of mountains to form ice caps and glaciers.

This simple but inexorable process gives life its sustenance on this planet. If this process is upset due to global warming, the future of mankind is sure to be imperilled. Scientists have tried to impress upon political leaders not only to lessen the use of fossil fuels responsible for producing greenhouse gas, but also focus on limiting temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial levels. But the developed industrial nations responsible for major environmental pollution are yet to comply with the Paris Agreement. With Trump back in power, the future of the agreement is in jeopardy because the man in White House does not believe in global warming and is unconvinced of the scientific evidences. His energy policy on massively using fossil fuels to strengthen American economy throws the prospect of lowering global temperature into uncertainty. Thus glaciers stand no chance of regaining their masses.​