Rivers are silent witnesses to the life, history, and civilization of Bangladesh. For hundreds of years, human settlements, agriculture, culture, and economy have developed on the banks of rivers. Poets and writers have therefore compared rivers to the loving care of a mother. As a result, Bangladesh was nicknamed the land of rivers.
For a long time, more than 1,000 rivers, both large and small, flowing in this country, have been playing an important role. The various types of delicious fish in the rivers not only fulfill the lack of protein-rich food but also bring in foreign exchange.
But today, those rivers are gradually being submerged in the darkness of pollution; in place of clear flows, black, polluted water and dead aquatic animals are appearing, making the rivers practically lifeless.
According to the United Nations, about 80% of the total wastewater produced in the world is currently discharged into rivers and water bodies without any treatment. This is considered the main cause of river pollution.
As a result, about 2.2 billion people in the world are still deprived of safe water facilities and about 800,000 people die every year due to polluted water.
An international survey called "State of Rivers Around the World" has shown that about 86% of people in the world believe that river pollution is directly harming human health. The use of polluted river water increases the risk of various complex diseases including diarrhea, cholera, skin diseases, and respiratory problems.
Due to industrialization, rapid urbanization and growing population, the level of river pollution is increasing day by day, especially in developing countries where there is unplanned industrial establishment, poor environmental management, and inadequate waste treatment system.
The same situation can be observed in the case of Bangladesh. 70% to 80% of the factories in this country have been built around the river. Looking at Dhaka and Chittagong, a large number of industrial factories have been built near the Karnaphuli, Buriganga, Shitalaksha, and Turag rivers.
Many rivers are thus being severely polluted by toxic liquid waste from industries, untreated sewage from urban areas, along with solid waste and plastics.
According to a survey by Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA), 60 % of the waste from industrial factories and 30% from Dhaka WASA and City Corporation falls into the river.
According to the Department of Environment, the rivers around the capital, especially the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakshya, are carrying thousands of cubic metres of untreated industrial waste and urban waste every day.
According to another report by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), about 80,000 cubic metres of untreated liquid waste is discharged into the rivers around Dhaka every day along with waste from about 7,000 industries.
Lack of adequate waste treatment plants has now become one of the main causes of this river pollution. Heavy metals and harmful chemicals released from the textile, tannery, chemical and pharmaceutical industries are degrading the quality of river water and causing serious harm to fish and other aquatic animals. While there were once hundreds of species of freshwater fish found in the country's rivers, many species are now extinct or near extinction.
The large amount of household waste that is flowing into the river through city drains and canals also increases organic pollution in the water and reduces the level of dissolved oxygen. Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture enter the river through rainwater and cause eutrophication, which disrupts the ecological balance of the river.
In addition, illegal encroachment on the riverbank, sand mining, dumping of oil and waste from boats, and direct dumping of household waste by people living on the riverbanks are further increasing the level of river pollution.
Internationally, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provide various criteria and guidelines for determining the quality of river water.
According to these standards, the pH of water should generally be 6.5–8.5, the dissolved oxygen (DO) should be at least 5 mg/L, and the organic pollution index BOD should generally be below 3 mg/L, so that the water is safe for aquatic animals and human health.
In the case of Bangladesh, the Department of Environment (DoE) has set the quality of river water according to the Environmental Protection Rules, 1997, which stipulates that the pH of river water should be 6–9, the dissolved oxygen should be at least 5 mg/L, and the total dissolved solids (TDS) should be kept within certain limits. The amount of dissolved oxygen in river water should be at least 5 mg/L, but in many rivers, it has dropped below 1 mg/L.
What the law says
According to the Bangladesh Rivers (Amendment) Act 2010, the Bangladesh government has a provision for punishment for individuals or institutions responsible for river pollution. According to Article 9, if an institution releases any kind of waste into the river, it can be punished with a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment or a maximum fine of Tk 10 lakh or both.
In 2011, Article 18(a) was added to the Constitution of Bangladesh. According to this article, the state shall take appropriate measures to conserve nature, forests, biodiversity, wetlands, etc.
It is noteworthy that the word river is not included in this, but according to international law, every river is a wetland. By including the word wetland, the state's determination to protect rivers is expressed.
The Water Act of 2013 has also included specific provisions to keep all types of water, including surface water, free from pollution and has formed a National Water Council to provide guidance for the implementation of this law at the highest level in the country. The River Conservation Act of 2013 directly addresses the preservation of river structure and water quality.
What we can do
To control river pollution, some immediate steps need to be taken on an urgent basis. Strict monitoring and enforcement of laws should be ensured to stop industrial waste being discharged directly into the river.
Industries that do not have effluent treatment plants (ETPs) should be forced to set up ETPs quickly and regular environmental inspections should be conducted.
Waste containment measures should be taken to temporarily control the untreated sewage flowing into the river from city drains and canals.
At the same time, regular clean-up drives should be conducted to remove illegal solid waste and plastic dumped on the river banks.
Improving low-cost waste collection systems and installing dustbins and waste management systems in the riverbank areas are also important short-term steps.
In the medium term, it is important to develop an integrated waste management system to reduce river pollution.
Central ETPs should be set up in industrial areas and modern sewage treatment plants (STPs) should be constructed in urban areas.
The drainage system of the city should be improved and untreated waste should be treated before it enters the river.
In addition, it is necessary to establish real-time monitoring stations and improve the data collection system to monitor the quality of river water.
It is necessary to reduce the use of excessive chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture and encourage environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
In addition, it is necessary to remove illegal encroachments along the river banks, restore the normal flow of the river, and strengthen riverbank conservation activities.
Introducing a regular monitoring system to monitor the quality of river water and increasing coordination between related institutions is also part of the medium-term solution.
Sustainable environmental management and policy reforms are very important to prevent river pollution in the long term. Environmental impact assessment should be mandatory in industrialization and urban planning.
It is necessary to introduce river-based integrated river basin management and make plans by taking the entire river basin into account.
The River Commission should be included in the Ministry of Environment and manpower, skills, and capacity should be increased.
Additionally, it is essential to strengthen river conservation laws, increase investment in research and technology development, and increase environmental awareness at the education and policy-making levels.
If these initiatives are implemented in the long term, the natural balance of the river will be restored and sustainable development will be ensured.
The beautiful green plains of riverine Bangladesh are filled with sadness today, for the rivers that were the mothers of our life and culture are now dying.
The habitat of the silver hilsa is now filled with a black liquid that feels like tar, and the softness of nature has faded due to the cruel tread of industry.
Just as people cannot survive without lungs, it is not possible to save the country without rivers.
Professor Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Dean, Faculty of Science and Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh; Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Chairman, Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS). Mobile: 01712017725, Email: [email protected].
