The problems and prospects of Shitalakhya River: A socio-economic and political Analysis

Abstract

Rivers, marshy lands are the main features of our country, Bangladesh. Many a number of rivers are prevailing in the country like intestine. Bangladesh cannot be imagined except the rivers. The poets, littérateurs wrote their works hailing the wetlands, rivers etc. Poet Rabindranath Tagore once told that he who did not see Bangladesh by sailing boats on Padma had not seen this country. He pointed out the mindset of Bengali people in the early decades by his Nirjhorer Shapnabhanga and same as Padma Mayamoyi by poet Jasimuddin. So, to understand Bangladesh the overall conception should been about the rivers here in this country. The physiological structure of Bangladesh is consisted of the silted soil washed out from the river stream. The piling of the silted soil has made our country like a deltaic shape in fact. As a result, the Bangladesh has huge amount of fertile land which is responsible for high yielding of crops. Today, our country has achieved the food sufficiency from food dependency only by frequent grace of the land and soil. At the era of Emperor Jahangir Bangla was marked as Jannnatabad (land of Heaven). It is, however, easily perceived that the lifeline of Bengali people and Bangladesh’s economy lies in rivers. In accordance of the condition and location of the rivers, the intellects of Bengali people has based on the very rivers from the historical period. The rivers were counted in the early period as the water-highway. By using this river rout once (early British era) the economy of Bengal was dominant in the global market.

The mercantile Europeans such as British, Portuguese, Dutch, and French etc established their commercial hub near the riverside area. The old Dhaka which is eminent for its Muslin fabrics was the gift of Bruiganga, Shitalakhya, Balu etc. The district of Narayanganj, dubbed as the Dandy of the East, was the port city for the marine ships carrying the goods from here to Yorkshire, Dandy, and Hampshire etc where the industrial capitalism took place in the early 18th century. This is why I would like to make clear that although these rivers are locally flowing but had contributed the economy globally. I have conducted an M.Phil research work surveying the Shitalakya river. This river now becomes very lean and thin due to the huge grabbing of its land, polluting its sweet water and causing the threat of extinction of aquatic life. Once, the river was the lifeline for socio-economic development of this area while it has now become the dumping lake of industrial toxic and chemical wastage. I have attempted to address the fault line behind the issue in my research with some of inevitable limitations. Mainly human created actions are liable to this consequence of rivers. In this point Burigonga is the eminent example for me. The river Shitalakhya is going to be another case of consequence like Burigonga. Many kinds of threat are proactive on the Shitalakhya River. Among of these, illegal dredging, capturing bank of river, throw dust into river from mill-factories etc. This kinds of activities are exercised with money, mussle and political power of some people.

The Sitalakhya River flows from west of Narayanganj District leading to the Dhaleshwari River, which flows into the Meghna River at Bandar. The Buriganga-Turag river system provides an important riverine link with the Dhaka Metropolitan City. Other peripheral rivers such as Balu, Lakhya and Tongikhal are also important in maintaining circular water route and natural environment of the city. Waterways this are vital productive resources for cities, regions and the country. The Shitalakhya provide amenities and services to communities that are taken for granted. Drinking water, food, transportation, communication, recreation, wildlife habitat, aesthetic appeal of places along waterways, economic development, etc. are some of the amenities that rivers provide. I have conducted field surveys and secondary data collection to clarify the relationships between domestic waste water discharge and pollutant load in the river Shitalakhya. Besides this thesis developed can provide a guideline to the future researchers about change of water quality, pollution, and sand and land grabbers, setting mills-industry on the bank of Shitalakhya etc.