Underground water levels in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country have been steadily going down while major rivers are dying as impact of artificial obstacles at the upstream in India, said experts fearing for the coming days.
They said that in the monsoon season India releases water and floods Bangladesh in the dry season, thus Bangladesh needs to make a sustainable agreement with transparency.
Experts also said sustainable development must be ensured by providing proper water supply to some 160 million people of the country. As a delta in the lower reaches of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, Bangladesh needs to expand its river areas by acquiring land as needed, they said.
Experts came up with the observation at a webinar titled ‘State of Bangladesh Rivers’ jointly organised by Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA), National River Protection Movement, National River Alliance, Coalition for the Urban Poor, River and Delta Research Centre and Water Keepers Bangladesh on Monday.
Speakers urged the government to make public the possible Teesta River agreement with China at a cost of billions of dollars. They said people of the country have the right to know. They also demanded the government to inform the people about what is in the master plan of all the rivers of the country including the Teesta.
“The biggest problem of Bangladesh is the proper implementation of law. As a result, we are unable to protect our natural resources. The rivers and environment of the country are being destroyed in the name of development keeping the common people in the dark,” Sultana Kamal, president of BAPA, said at the event.
We must continue our movement to protect rivers and the environment out of the constitutional and civic responsibility, she said.
Dr Mujibur Rahman Howlader, former chairman of the National River Conservation Commission, delivered the keynote address at the webinar.
“Bangladesh has to depend on the upstream country for river waters. They are (India) blocking the flow of river water by installing dams, which is creating water crisis in Bangladesh. Thus it is necessary to make a sustainable and people-oriented agreement with the upstream country in this regard,” he said.
About 80 per cent of the country's drinking water comes from groundwater sources while there is a connection of river water with ground water. If the water supply of the river continues to fall then there will be a crisis in the ground water, he described.
Experts also criticised the river commission for being allegedly inactive in protecting rivers in the country, and claimed that the rescued rivers are being re-occupied and polluted.
