THE High Court鈥檚 recent directive to restore the River Dhaleshwari and hold encroachers and polluters accountable is a welcome step. The river is under severe threat from unchecked encroachment and industrial pollution. The High Court directed the National River Conservation Commission, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka and the Inland Water Transport Authority to identify individuals, industries and other entities responsible for obstructing the river鈥檚 natural flow at Savar. The court also ordered a comprehensive plan to restore the river鈥檚 original course by dismantling illegal structures while mandating compliance reports in four months. The directive comes on a public interest litigation writ petition filed by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers鈥� Association. While the court鈥檚 intervention is a crucial step, the test will be whether authorities translate the orders into concrete action, rather than repeating hollow assurances and superficial gestures that have for long plagued river management around the capital.
Not only the Dhaleshwari, other rivers around Dhaka 鈥� the Buriganga, the Sitalakkhya and the Turag 鈥� are similarly suffocating under the weight of industrial effluents and encroachment. A study published in ScienceDirect shows that the characteristic pollution index for the rivers ranges from 4.73 to 16.29, indicating severe contamination levels that render the water unsuitable for irrigation and hazardous to aquatic life. The Buriganga alone receives more than 60,000 cubic metres of toxic waste daily from industries, including textiles, dyeing, laundry and pharmaceuticals. Similarly, the Dhaleshwari is plagued by untreated tannery effluents, with the central effluent treatment plant at Savar often operating below capacity or not at all, resulting in a direct discharge of hazardous chemicals such as chromium and salt into the river. Encroachment further exacerbates the situation. A cement factory has been identified as occupying more than 24 acres of river land along the Dhaleshwari and the Sitalakkhya, obstructing natural water flow and threatening aquatic biodiversity. The rivers, once vital for transport and sustenance, now serve as conduits for pollution, endangering public health and the environment. The implications are dire: the contamination of water sources, loss of biodiversity and increased health risks to nearby communities and workers. Addressing the challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including stringent enforcement of environmental regulations, establishment of functional effluent treatment plants and active community involvement in conservation efforts. Without immediate and sustained action, the rivers may face irreversible ecological damage.
The authorities should enforce strict compliance against polluting industries and encroachers along the Dhaleshwari and other rivers. It should be ensured that all factories operate functional effluent treatment plants, dismantle illegal structures and restore rivers to their original courses based on the cadastral survey. Regular monitoring, public reporting and community engagement are essential to safeguard biodiversity, prevent further ecological degradation and protect the health and livelihoods of riverside communities.
