The New Nation - Internet Edition
Rivers dry up, millions become unemployed: GK Project facing closure
Shamsun Naher from Rajshahi
All the eight major rivers passing through the greater Rajshahi district have almost been dried up. The navigation through these rivers have remained suspended for years while more than three million people who used to depend for their livelihood direct on these rivers have also become unemployed and displaced.
The rivers are the Padma, the Mohananda, the Boral, the Pagla, the Punorbhova, the Atrai, the Karotoa, and the Chhoto Jamuna. The river of Padma has lost its navigability from Shibganj point in Chapainwabganj district to down stream Nagarbari in Pabna district due to withdrawal of water through Farkka Barrage, West Bengal, India. Sand dunes in the form of shoals have emerged in the middle of the river due to stoppage of natural flow of water. Some where in the river there is only spec of water flow while in other places there is knee-deep water. Thousands of people, mainly fishermen and boatmen who used to maintain their livelihood on this river, have become totally unemployed.
People of Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna and adjacent districts beside the river Padma have forgotten the impact of flood, erosion and the devastation created by the turbulent rush of water. Now, even during the Monsoon (rainy season), more than fifty percent of the river bed remain dried up. To feed her rivers and canals, India does not release water as per the water sharing treaty through Farakka barrage. The truth is that, occasionally, when Farakka is unable to contain a huge pressure of water during flood and monsoon, all the gates of Farakka are let open and thus creating a widespread flood in Bangladeshi.
The water level of the river Padma near Shibganj of Chapinawabganj, at Rajshahi and at Paksey Hardinge Bridge points, remained ever low. In many places there is no water to measure. In Rajshahi, the danger level of water of Padma is 18.5 feet. But for the last ten years, the water level never crossed over nine feet. The condition is far worrying at the foot of Hardinge Bridge, the water level being reduced drastically. Absence of water for ages under Hardinge Bridge may cause severe damage for the guarders as sands use to erode the concrete structure of the guarders and the other structures of the bridge, informed sources working for maintaining the bridge at Paksey.
Moreover, the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project (GK Project) which uses to irrigate thousands of hectares of land in the greater Kushtia and Jessore districts is facing closure due to scanty or no water at the source of the project. Due to scarcity of water, the pump houses situated beside the river have been shifted several times and part of river has been dredged but still only 30 to 35 percent of the total capacity of GK project being used for irrigation purposes. It is apprehended that the GK project might face closure within next few years if no flow of water is increased in Padma.
The conditions of all other river flowing through greater Rajshahi is almost similar.
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