The dying Shitalakhya

BANGLADESH is a riverine country. Around 153 rivers are flowing across the country. These rivers play a significant role for socio-economic development. Many people depend on the rivers for their livelihood.
However, most of our rivers are dying due mainly to destructive habits of the people living or working beside them. The river Shitalakhya is dying because of mindless dumping of garbage of garments industries and undue influence of land grabbers.
The Shitalakhya river is one of our well-known rivers due to enormous business activities on its banks. Once upon a time, Narayanganj was known as the Dundee of Bangladesh for its jute business. All kinds of commercial activities took place centring around the Shitalakhya as waterways were the cheapest and easiest mode of communication in those days. As a result, mills and factories thrived on both sides of the Shitalakhya. The largest jute mill, Adamjee Jute Mills was located there.
During my childhood, I lived in Bandar, Narayanganj which is beside the Sitalakhya. I used to bathe and make rivers cruise etc on the river. The river was a healthier place at that time and it was a treat to watch the natural sights on the river and beyond. The water of the river was crystal clear  and it was so clear that we even found the small fishes under the water. The river has now lost its glorious past and has worn a blackish colour and stinking smell. Mindless dumping of waste of dying and finishing mills and other industrial waste are mainly responsible for the present state of the Shitalakhya. Earlier there were countless species of fish in its water which is now almost devoid of any fish.  
To save the Shitalakhaya, I have the following recommendations to make: Awerness should be raised among the garments owners to make them understand that mindless disposal of industrial wasts is harmful for the river and the environment around it. The law enforcing agencies must enforce the laws of the land regarding disposal of waste. The government must come forward to help the garments owners set up effluent treatment plant (ETP) for safe disposal of industrial waste.
Political influence on the bank of the river must be tackled with an iron hand by the government. Land grabbing, sand extraction, silt extraction, extortion by local politicians must be stopped. Mobile court be set up to prohibit any unlawful activities on river banks. Awareness campaigns need to be carried out on the bank of the river as well as on print and electronic media to sensitize people.
World renowned fabric Muslin was developed here and the Sithalakhaya river water was used to wash the fabric. The river is now in a dying shape due to negligence and carelessness of a group of people.
We have to save the Shithalakhaya because lot of people are dependent on it for their livelihood directly and indirectly. Death of the river will leave a negative impact on our nature and environment. Waterways still remain to be the cheapest way of transportation and a good destination for tourism. By introducing water transportation around Dhaka city, we can avoid perpetual traffic congestion. So the government should take both short- and long-term actions to save the Shitalakhaya from dying.

Mohammad Zonaed Emran
A banker
zonaed.emran@gmail.com