Md. Akramuzzaman Arif
Fistculating agent
8 rivers of Kushtia have become a dead or narrow canal due to the adverse effects of the Farakka Dam in India, encroachment and non-renovation.
After a few days, the rivers will disappear from the map, the desertification will be accelerated, the biodiversity has a great impact, experts said.
The main river of Bangladesh is Padma. The river has entered Bangladesh in the district of Daulatpur upazila, which is the origin of the river Gai and Mathabhanga river. India is also under threat of the Farakka dam upstream of the Padma river.
Despite the historic Ganga water sharing agreement, India is not giving its fair share of water on various pretexts. The condition is getting worse day by day, and some of the rivers are knee-deep in water, and this is affecting the Gai and Mathabhanga and its branches, sub-branch rivers and the Bil Haoz.
According to experts, this river is one of the hottest reservoirs on the coast of the country, which is shrinking during the dry season, resulting in saline water from the coast. In the meantime, this salinity has reached Mohammadpur in Magura district.
The world's largest mangrove forest, including the Sundarbans, has been protected biodiversity of the coastal districts in 1998. In 1998, the then Awami League government implemented the Gai River Excavation Project at Tk 400 crore. The current government has taken up another 1000 crore rupees from last year but it is not working.
When the dry season comes, the Gajai becomes a dead canal.
Meanwhile, the flow of water in the rivers like Padma, Gai and Mathabhanga is going to decrease day by day, from the map to Hari, the flow of Hisna, Kali, Chandana, Sagarkhali and Kumarandi flowing over this district has been stopped.
The power holders have taken the two sides of the river and built shops, and the entire river Kumar of Hisna has gone into the belly of the squatters. The Chandana river is like the Kumar river.
The river Kumar is a branch of the river, this river is destroyed, and fish is being cultivated in the river. The river is being built by occupying the swamp of the river in the river.
According to an official estimate, the number of occupiers of the octave rivers and canals is 3000. Somewhere the connection of the drain and even the excrement are mixed in these rivers.
According to the sources of the Kushtita district administration, the flow of rivers and canals is no longer normal. The water flow board and the district administration have identified these occupiers separately.
The Assistant Commissioner (Lands) of the District has made this list by visiting the Kushti Karal, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Karal and Pani Unanaanna Board, but a source in the District Commissioner (Revenue) Office, who did not wish to be named, claims that the actual number of occupiers will be much higher than the list made a few years ago.
The list of occupiers is available from the office of the District Commissioner, the list of occupiers, the Padma river, the Gai River and the Bill. The list of water development boards is occupied by the small-scale canals of the Ganga-Kapotaksha irrigation project outside these rivers.
According to the list of District Water Development Board, Padma river, Gajai river and small-br irrigation canals occupy at least 2,921 occupiers, mostly paved and semi-ripe tin houses.
Some tin shops have been located and have been doing bus and business illegally for years.
When asked, Kustitar District Commissioner Saidul Islam said, "We have the list of rivers and canals occupying us. All measures will be taken to keep the flow of rivers and canals normal in any way."
District Water Development Board Executive Engineer Afchar Uddin said that the district has been stopped for a long time due to the coronavirus but action will be taken against these illegal occupiers very soon.
Water experts believe that it is important to arrange for the Kustitar rivers to return to its past glory to protect the south-western region of the country from desertification and to save the Sundarbans from salt.
