Rivers are not dumping grounds

Buriganga, Dhaleshwari’s conditions a cautionary tale of mismanagement

Staff Correspondent :    |    ০৭:১৬ পিএম, ২০২২-০১-১৫

In trying to save one river we’ve condemned another to a slow but certain death. 
It seems like there is no end to the plight of Buriganga and Dhaleshwari rivers, their fates unimaginably entwined. Buriganga had long been the site used exclusively for dumping of toxic substances from tanneries processing rawhide. That is until 2017, when 170 of the 210 rawhide processing units in Hazaribagh, Dhaka were moved to Hemayetpur, Savar. It was expected that the relocation of tanneries from the bank of Buriganga to that of Dhaleshwari would rid the former of its largest source of pollution and, with proper planning and execution, soften the blow on the latter. But a study by a team of researchers now shows that, far from aligning these goals, the move has rather backfired. 

The study, conducted by researchers from Jahangirnagar University, Stamford University and Waterkeepers, Bangladesh, finds that even though the tanneries are no longer near the Buriganga, pollution from rawhide processing continues to deteriorate its water quality. The tannery estate in Hemayetpur is upstream of the Dhaleshwari, and the resultant pollution in the river also streams into the Buriganga, meaning the latter is still affected. This wasn't meant to be. Before 2017, the relocation was promoted as the answer to our river pollution problem, what with the central Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) that was supposed to treat all waste from the tanneries, leaving the Dhaleshwari unscathed. But even after all these years, the central ETP remains incomplete, and toxic waste continues to be dumped into the river. 

Make no mistake, waste flown from the Dhaleshwari is not the only reason for the current plight of the Buriganga. There are still dozens of micro-level rawhide processing units operating in Hazaribagh. More importantly, the plying of thousands of vessels, the presence of dyeing factories at Shyampur, and raw sewage from other factories and households continue to afflict its water. But in trying to save one river we've condemned another to a slow but certain death. The study team gave a statistical face to the gravity of the situation, with Dhaleshwari scoring 27.06 and Buriganga 39.39 on the six indicators based on which the river data was analysed. The Dhaleshwari is now in the same category of river health as the Buriganga. 

This is a totally unacceptable situation, a cautionary tale of what happens when we let poor planning, mismanagement and lack of accountability get in the way of much-needed reforms. Not only have the authorities totally failed to uproot major sources of pollution from the Buriganga's bank, they have also made the situation worse for Dhaleshwari by failing to complete the central ETP in Savar and not holding the polluters responsible for their actions. The recommendation, as made by the parliamentary standing committee on the environment ministry, to shut down the Hemayetpur estate for its lack of facilities, and the mandatory environmental clearance, will not help the situation. The government must bring all heads together to devise a workable plan and eradicate all sources of pollution to save our rivers.