When it comes to protecting our water bodies Bangladesh has never had the best of track records -- from regular incidents of river erosion wreaking havoc to large water bodies being lost to illegal occupation, there are multitudes of issues at play.
A recent report however, reveals a new threat wherein a new study posits that microplastics particles have slowly been accumulating in riverbed sediments entering Bangladesh through India. While this is the first time these particles have been formally found in local water bodies, it should be noted that, before this recent study, there had been no attempts to underscore the threat these particles pose within a Bangladeshi context.
Given our nation’s continuous struggles with plastic pollution, it wouldn't be surprising to know that this has been a serious threat to our rivers for some time now.
According to the World Health Organization, microplastics are an emerging environmental pollutant, and the infiltration of these particles inside the human body have serious health implications. What’s more, these particles are also relatively easily miscible with water, which holds grave concerns for aquatic life.
This is not a threat that we can take lightly, given the immense likelihood of microplastics in our rivers eventually finding their way into the food chain and the direct correlation of microplastics with cancer.
To that end, a national level committee to formulate the strategies needed to curb this threat would be absolutely welcome. Our rivers and other waterways have to be properly monitored, particularly the ones close to India as the particles have been concentrated largely along those routes.
To say that protecting our rivers also protects our own health and wellbeing from a raft of conditions is not hyperbolic anymore.
