Md Rana, helmsman of a bulkhead vessel, became as soon as resting advance Aminbazar Landing Position on the monetary institution, where two of Dhaka’s vital rivers — Turag and Buriganga — merge. On the assorted aspect of the river is the Gabtoli Landing Position.
An entire bunch of labourers were unloading the bulkhead rotund of cement sacks.
“I carried 9,000 sacks [450 tonnes according to his estimate] of cement on the present time,” Rana stated. “Imagine how many trucks you will want to withhold all these sacks?”
Rana became as soon as steady. If Dhaka became as soon as now not blessed with its circular rivers, it would had been a offer chain nightmare requiring a full bunch of trucks traversing thru the metropolis daily.
From Shah, Akij, and Top charge to Scan and Aman — most cement companies hold their stations here, along with assorted areas all around the Turag River.
“We carry goods thru the Turag to varied ghats [quay] love this. After we in an instant ragged to head to Gazipur. That channel now now not exists. The Turag is dying,” Rana added.
Most rivers in Bangladesh hold staunch waft for the period of Monsoon. The water in Turag too became as soon as flowing well, love a wholesome river. However the hot waft is all but a facade. In a month or two, the river will seemingly be all but a pool of unlit water.
“The Excessive Court docket declared the Turag River a living entity. Nonetheless, given how this river is being treated, even asserting that ‘we’re collectively killing it’ would possibly possibly be an underestimation,” stated Mohammad Azaz, chairman of the River and Delta Be taught Centre (RDRC).
And but, the river retains handing over. From cement, coal, sand, fertiliser, to stones, all forms of construction goods are carried to Dhaka and neighbouring areas thru the Turag.
Akij, as an illustration, brings around 40,000 cement bags every month, stated its role-in-charge, Waheduzzaman.
“From here, the cement goes to Dhaka metropolis, Manikganj and diverse areas,” he stated.
Shah Cement supplies around 4,500 cement bags [around 200 tonnes] daily thru this role, while Top charge Cement transports around 200 tonnes a day from its Munshiganj factory.
A ‘multipurpose’ river’s sad account
“Buriganga is k but skedaddle to Ashulia and apply the Turag; the river is in a precarious deliver,” Sultan, a native resident in Aminbazar, told TBS.
River educated Azaz defined additional.
“Buriganga now has two purposes: carrying passengers and goods. However the Turag has many extra purposes. There are cement factories and ready-made garment factories along the monetary institution of the Turag. There has been industrialisation on a colossal scale too. Housing construction has furthermore taken role by encroaching the river,” he stated.
This river has tremendously shriveled over the years, attributable to of encroachment and raze accumulation, as industries and residents employ the river as a dumping role.
In lots of locations including Gabtoli, Nawaberbagh, Bisil, Mirpur and onwards, the river has been wounded in a myriad programs.
No subject being given the plot of a “ethical particular person” by the Excessive Court docket in 2019, the years that followed weren’t form to the Turag.
Factories hold kept dumping toxic liquid raze into the river, apart from to nearby canals and marshes in Gazipur.
In 2023, Bangladesh River Basis and Bangladesh River Vacationers Network identified 96 locations where raze is polluting a 40-kilometre stretch of the river, from Tongi in Gazipur to the Kodda role of Dhaka metropolis.
Wounded, but soundless keeping on
Mashruk, manager of Palak Merchants, a coal provider, became as soon as monitoring work on the river monetary institution.
He stated the coal from here goes to North Bengal, Manikganj, Aricha, Tangail and grand of assorted locations, to be ragged in brickfields and boilers for battery factories.
Mashruk stated he has witnessed firsthand how the Turag, the provision chain pillar for his replace, became as soon as being broken.
“There are marked areas for rivers, but of us discontinuance now not appreciate that. Many of us encroach the areas in collaboration with the authorities,” Mashruk stated. “Now the water is provocative but advance three months later and the water will seemingly be unlit and entire of stench.”
Shahara Endeavor’s proprietor Mohammad Mohsin stated they introduced in practically two lakh tonnes of coal last year.
“One day of the dry season, our ship struggles to navigate,” Mohsin stated. “With out the river, we would possibly possibly now not behavior replace here. There is now not any methodology lets transport this quantity of goods by truck. We’re speaking about 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes — how decades discontinuance you watched it would snatch to circulate that by avenue? And or now not it’s now not apt me; assorted companies here handle same portions of coal, sand, fertiliser and so forth.
“If I herald 200,000 tonnes, others are doing the identical. It’s in all probability you’ll perhaps by no methodology circulate this grand by truck. Our rivers are our lifeline,” Mohsin added.
On all aspects of the river in Gabtoli, there are practically equal numbers of replace entities. An entire bunch of workers were considered unloading pebbles, coal, sand, and so forth.
As the welcome plug on a heated noon flowed by, Al Amin, an employee on the landing role there, stated, “You’re going to now not be in a local to stand here attributable to of the stench a pair of months later.”
Keeping the ecosystem
Mohammad Azaz of RDRC stated that the finest ecosystem of the Turag River is its wetlands, but these are truly being misplaced.
He stated around 69 fishing villages on the monetary institution of the Turag had been marginalised attributable to of pollution as they were left unemployed for eight months.
“Rizwana Apa [the environment adviser] stated restoring Buriganga would possibly possibly be refined, but I suspect restoring Turag would possibly possibly be grand extra refined. And with out restoring Turag, you can not restore Buriganga,” Azaz stated.
“For the reason that Turag became as soon as declared a living entity, the case has won global attention. Nonetheless, I create now not think any individual is animated to grab on the arena. Among the many rivers around Dhaka, the federal government is prioritising the Shitalakshya, but I suspect the focus want to be on the Turag.
“Given its importance for global accountability and the pattern of western Dhaka, the Turag want to be the priority,” Azaz added.
