Narai river pollution

The water of the Narai is no longer usable and the river's pollution is a health hazard to those who live in its vicinity. The water cannot be drunk, and if used for washing or cooking, exposes the villagers to all manner of contamination. The black sludge in the river pollutes the entire area and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease.

Residents in the area have repeatedly brought their plight to the attention of the government, and the government has repeatedly pledged to resolve their problems. Dhaka city mayor, Sadeque Hossain Khoka, has promised to establish treatment plants at Rampura to treat the waste and sewage that flows through canals from the city into the Narai, but despite the fact that the pollution gets worse every day, no concrete steps have been taken to do anything to ameliorate the problem.

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The time is past due for official action. And this is just a microcosm of the greater problem. If the government does not implement a concerted policy to deal with the vast quantities of industrial waste and untreated sewage that contaminates our waterways, soon the rivers which are the life-blood of the country will all be choked with pollution. It is critical that attention is paid to cleaning up of our waterways before it is too late.