At least five rivers in Rajshahi district—once known for their clear, flowing water—have turned into channels carrying city waste, including toxic effluents from factories and hospitals.
The Swaramangala, Barahi, Nabaganga, Barnai, and Hoja rivers, along with several adjacent wetlands, are now filled with dark, contaminated water. This pollution is not only disrupting the livelihoods of communities dependent on these water bodies but also posing serious public health risks. Residents report a rise in waterborne and skin diseases, while the use of polluted water for irrigation threatens food safety.
Even the Padma River has not been spared. Waste from Rajshahi city is being discharged into it, turning its once-clear water murky and polluted.
Experts and officials cite unplanned waste management and a lack of public awareness as the main causes of the crisis. Except for the Padma, the other five rivers are gradually degenerating into narrow waste-carrying canals as they pass through and around the city.
The Barahi River, which originates from the Padma, flows through areas such as Baya Bazar before merging with the Barnai River. Wastewater from the Swaramangala and Nabaganga rivers also eventually drains into the Barnai at Baya in Paba upazila. At this confluence, black water filled with plastic, polythene, and chemical foam is a common sight. Locals say the pollution is spreading as far as the Chalan Beel in Natore.
All municipal wastewater—including medical waste—flows into the Barnai River, now reduced to a narrow canal in many places. In 2023, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) designated part of this channel as the Pakuria Canal and constructed a 24-metre bridge at Baya Afinepalpara. Beneath the bridge, foul-smelling black water mixed with toxic substances continues to flow.
River researcher Mahbub Siddiqui recalled, “I used to cross the Barahi River for one paisa to go to school. Now it has become a drain carrying the city’s waste.”
Farmer Mozammel Haque said the once fish-rich river now sees frequent deaths of fish, snails, mussels, and even snakes due to pollution.
The situation is similar in other rivers and wetlands. The Swaramangala River flows along the eastern side of the city, passing between RUET and Rajshahi University before merging into a beel and later becoming the Hoja River. Near the Barnai in Paba, wastewater enters the river beside the Nowhata cremation ground, where children are often seen playing in contaminated water.
Local fisherman Suman Halder reported that contact with river water causes skin conditions such as ringworm and eczema. Rizia Bibi from Puthiapara developed a skin disease after using the water, while other members of her family also experienced itching.
Mustafa Sarkar Bijli, president of the cultural organisation “Bachar Asha,” stressed the urgency of protecting these rivers, noting that hundreds of thousands of people depend on them. He warned that crops irrigated with polluted water could pose health risks to consumers.
Health officials confirm the growing impact. Dr Md Asaduzzaman, Health and Family Planning Officer of Paba upazila, said thousands of people in the area are suffering from skin diseases linked to contaminated water. District Civil Surgeon SIM Raziul Karim said awareness campaigns are underway to discourage the use of polluted river water.
Sheikh Mohammad Mamun Dollar, Chief Conservancy Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation, acknowledged the problem, stating that wastewater—not solid waste—is primarily entering the rivers, and emphasized the urgent need for a treatment plant.
Dr ANM Bazlur Rashid, Commissioner of Rajshahi Division, said a proposal has already been submitted to the ministry for a water treatment plant, adding that work will begin once approval is granted.
