WHEN THE RIVER RUNS DRY

Mahananda River, which originates from the Himalayas and flows through India to empty into the Padma river in Rajshahi, was once the centre of people’s lives in Tetulia upazila in Panchgarh district. Many of the residents would make a good living out of fishing and markets also popped along the river bank. But ever since India started constructing a series of dams, the river has turned motionless, with just the riverbed left and hardly any water. With the river drying, the hubbub of commerce that gathered around it has disappeared, with the villagers now making do with collecting stones. The photos were taken recently.