Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Buriganga River
Geography
The Buriganga River originates from the Dhaleshwari River, near Kalatia, northwest of Dhaka City. The river’s junction with the Dhaleshwari fluctuates from time to time, but at present lies 3.22 km southwest of Fatullah. On its course southward, the Buriganga is joined by the Turag River, which provides the main flow of the Buriganga, at Kamrangirchar in Dhaka City.
The Buriganga River’s average width and depth are 400m and 10m respectively. Due to siltation, the river’s length has diminished from 27 km to 18 km. Eleven of the remaining 18 kilometers are in Dhaka District and seven are in Narayangong District, with a very small portion in Munshiganj.
The present head of the Buriganga, near Chhaglakandi, has silted up and opens only during floods, but the lower part is still open throughout the year. The river’s course by Dhaka is stable, fixed by the resistant clays marking the southern edge of the “Madhupur Tract.”
History
The Buriganga River has served as the central artery to economic life in Dhaka for centuries. The river provides access to Bangladesh’s myriad waterways for launches and country boats, promoting small and medium scale enterprises; however large steamers can no longer ascend the river in the dry season.
In addition to the commercial benefits derived from the river, the Buriganga has offered Dhaka City a constant water supply, groundwater recharge, recreation and fisheries, as well as support for agricultural, sanitation and industrial purposes.
Despite the intrinsic value of the Buriganga for life in Dhaka, since the 1980s, intensive human interventions have greatly influenced its flow and function. Once a catalyst for trade and a source of growth, the Buriganga River has been degraded by industrial and residential developments along its banks and in its catchments. The past 30 years have seen an explosion of off-shore land grabbing and the development of illegal encroachments without waste disposal and sanitation facilities. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of proper solid waste management and sewerage disposal in Dhaka City, particularly in the vicinity of the river.
Situation Critical
The indiscriminate dumping of domestic and industrial wastes, combined with the failure of authorities to enforce existing regulations to protect the ecological health of the river, has aggravated the situation to the point where the Buriganga River is dying biologically and hydrologically.
While all the rivers of Bangladesh are threatened by climate change, the Buriganga in particular is struggling against more direct human threats, including:
  • Household and industrial pollution
    • Industrial discharge
    • Boat fuel discharge
    • Domestic garbage
    • Inadequate sewage treatment
  • Mismanagement and haphazard growth
These threats stem from an unfortunate confluence of factors including population growth, vested interests, and a lack of political will to enforce existing legislation:
  • Population growth – The total population in Dhaka City grew from 100,000 in 1906 to 9.9 million in 2000. The high rate of the population growth in Bangladesh, particularly the pressure towards Dhaka for employment and survival, has resulted in illegal settlements on the riverbank at the city’s edge.
  • Vested interests – Groups and individuals have found ways to generate income by illegally constructing houses and factories along the Buriganga, which only encourages others to do the same.
  • Lack of political will – The government has neglected to enforce existing laws against illegal settlement along the river, effectively encouraging squatters to settle there.