Editorial
Saving the Buriganga
Strong, foolproof measures must be taken
ANY discussion on the Buriganga can only focus on a single point. It is that the river must be saved and allowed to go back to what it has historically been. And it is a point a recent seminar on existing conditions in and around the river emphasised on Monday. That a particular feature relating to restoring the Buriganga to its old position concerns its augmentation has never been in doubt.
At the seminar, experts noted that a budget amounting to Taka 616crore would be required for a proposed 140-kilometre long augmentation route. Maintenance costs for the route will amount to Taka six crore per year. The issue here transcends any discussion of the financial resources involved because of the systematic battering the river has received over the past many years. Within such battering has come the problem of irregular dredging. Add to that the gradual encroachment that has gone on, turning the Buriganga into a shell of its earlier self at a number of points. As for effluents, they are a definite health hazard along with garbage and sewage dumping. Those who make use of the river water have contracted various ailments. There is a clear need here, therefore, for the government to take strict measures against the grabbers of river banks. Factories that have ignored guidelines regarding wastewater treatment must be made to comply with them.
One idea emerging from the seminar is the probability of transferring water from the Jamuna to the Buriganga during the dry season. With water in general being a serious issue and the Buriganga in particular up against all odds, such thoughts can be built upon. Already a number of rivers in Bangladesh are in their death throes. That dire possibility must not be allowed to affect the Buriganga, the lifeline for Dhaka city for ages. There is today an absolute need to ensure its uninterrupted and pollution-free flow.
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