THE other day I was reading a news item about water pollution in China. According to the report, despite Chinese government spending a whopping US$850 million over the past five years, China is yet to reverse the damage caused by decades of random pollution of rivers. It is indeed very difficult to repair the damage done by river pollution and so we must be careful of the dangers inflicted by us on the rivers through our activities. As it is well known, most of our rivers are victims of worst pollution. The Buriganga, lifeline of capital Dhaka is almost dead due to increasing pollution and encroachment. I remember, the Buriganga was clean and sparking in 1980s when I was a teenager. I used to take a boat ride and enjoy the pristine beauty of the river. Sadly, once a vibrant river, it has been reduced to a stagnant and stinking pool of water. Unless urgent steps are taken by the authorities concerned, the river will shrink further and turn into a narrow canal. It is now dying a slow and painful death. It is apprehended that it will be lost into oblivion if appropriate steps are not taken to revive it from its dying condition. We must bear it in our mind that nature's revenge is far more lethal and unforgiving and if we want to avoid it we must act now.
Mohammad Sohel Hara
Bonosree, Dhaka
