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Teesta River Drying up, Ecosystem under Threat
Lalmonirhat’s Patgram Upazilla is the entry point of the Teesta River into Bangladesh. But India has built an irrigation Barrage at the Indian side of Teesta, specifically the Malbazar Town in Jalpaiguri which caused Teesta River Drying up. The barrage, unfortunately, is working as a blockade and diverting the water. As a result, the Bangladeshi portion of the Teesta River is Drying up.
The Teesta entrance to the Hatibandha Teesta Barrage sees a water flow of around 800-900 cusecs. But the same cannot be said for the area of the barrage to the Lalmonirhat-Kauna area. The water flow recorded there are 300-400 Cusescs.
Authorities from both India and Bangladesh have held talks about the river situation with practically no Results. The natural biodiversity and the ecosystem of the area are at risk. The drying up is in such a dire level that farmers are cultivating pumpkins in the dried-up land. The Hartibandha Barrage area is totally dried up.
With the total length of Teesta being 315 km, it covers a 115 km of critical areas within Bangladesh. The natural balance of the surrounding areas depend heavily on the wellbeing of the river.
With possibilities of talks coming up again in the near future, the welfare of the Teesta River will be of utmost importance. The talks regarding this is not a new occurrence. There has been discussion and debate regarding the river since 1983. A decisive point was reached back in 2007. The Joint river commission of Bangladesh and India decided to divide 4/5th of the river among themselves while the remaining portion would be free to let the river flow properly.
In 2011, a division with 42.5% in favor of India and 37.5% to Bangladesh was also discussed which like the previous settlement remains unsigned. Bangladeshi officials have to eke out a deal as soon as possible to save the waning ecosystem of the Teesta and the areas around it.
(The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])
March 27, 2018
Eco Tour by bdenvironment.com
As eco beloved students and environment activities, all their hearts were set to reach for the close to jungle, where the spheres are wide and locality are not the typical urban-centric. On 12th of September, 2015, with scorching ‘Summer Sun’ half-way-on, the team of ‘Eco Tour 2015’ and founder of bdenvironment.com Md. Ashraful Alam, editor of Tangail Barta Md. Fazlul Haque, Eastern University faculty Assistant Professor and Coordinator of EU EarthCare Club Mr. Abu Md. Abdullah, Assistant professor and coordinator of Social Welfare Club Mr. Syed Habib Anwar Pasha, Assistant Professor Mr. Moniruzzaman Khan and Assistant Professor Maksuda Hossain started off for the coveted Eco Tour 2015.
The aim was an eco-tourism place Do Khola at Madhapur in Tangail forest range of Bangladesh forest department. By the time the students reached the jungle, local and tribal people were about to start their tribal dance and traditional activities. With popular and gorgeous dresses, they appeared a colorful and festive look. While dance, especially after the dance when started the jungle trip, the students craned and tiptoed to have a clear view of what was happening in ecology and inside jungle activities by animals. Students were found busy noting the events, taking pictures, matching realities with theoretical teach.
The eco tour 2015 was further enriched by President of Eastern University EarthCare Club and editor-in-chief of bdenvironment.com (Environmental Web Portal) Md. Ashraful Alam’s informative briefing on their jungle as well as animal behavior and overall Eco Tour 2015 activities. He played coordinator role in Eco Tour 2015.
Participants of Eco Tour 2015 were highly encouraged by his speech, realizing that ‘the power of their (jungle and ecosystem) purse isn’t ignorable any more’. However, the most exciting part was probably taking part in ‘Passing the jungle route’. The students were divided into small groups of ten and followed the narrow aisles of the jungle. After the lunch break, the students visited the local historic place as well as met with local influential figures like journalist, local forest department director etc. The Eco Tour 2015 was organized by environmental web portal bdenvironment.com, Tangail’s local newspaper Tangail Barta and social organization Alokito Madhupur.
However, the most exciting part was probably taking part in ‘Passing the jungle route’. The students were divided into small groups of ten and followed the narrow aisles of the jungle. After the lunch break, the students visited the local historic place as well as met with local influential figures like journalist, local forest department director etc. The Eco Tour 2015 was organized environmental web portal bdenvironment.com, Tangail’s local newspaper Tangail Barta and social organization Alokito Madhupur.
September 12, 2015
Karatoa River Occupied by Land grabbers
Preparing fake documents by land grabbers to occupy a part of the Karatoa River and constructing establishments.
Powerful people of those are have occupied large areas of land on both sides of the river in the two districts. Their aims of those people build multi-story buildings there. The environment department identified grasped river land where some people including Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) even included Thangamara Mohila Shabuj Shango and Diabetic Hospital in Bogra.
WDB Bogra district Sub-Assistant Engineer AKM Najmul Hassain said that already has been occupied for farming and other purposes by encroachers about 57 kilometers of the 86.75 kilometers channel from Khalisha to Khanpur.
The river lost Khalisha in Gaibandha to Khanpur channel in Bogra which is considering as the main channel of the river before about 23 years ago, said WDB officials.
To run the water flow of the river, WDB in Khalisha area constructed a three-vent control device in 1989. Farmers on both riverbanks started the cultivation of Boro (One kind of crop) and other kinds of seasonal crops from Khalisha to Khanpur from the beginning of the winter period. And policy needs to implement here.
The environment department has been taken an initiative to restore the flow of the river from Khalisha of Gobindaganj upazila in Gaibandha to Khanpur of Sherpur Upazila in Bogra district. WDB sources said that the department prepares to make gabbers’ list to expel them and restore the river channel.
M Inamul Haque mentioned in his book ‘Water Resources Management in Bangladesh’ that from the Rennell’s Map of 1779 it comes into sights that the Karatoa began from the foothills of the Himalayas in Darjeeling of West Bengal (India) and joined the Atrai River in the plains. According to the DoE Bogra officials, the river is dangerously polluted by chemical, household and industrial waste presently.
January 20, 2015
The Teesta River desiccated
Ashik Rahman: Already majority part of The Teesta River has dried up due to extreme fall in water levels in the summer season. It’s fall due to a barrage in India, upstream of the Teesta Irrigation Project at Dalia, Lalmonirhat. Experts think that barrage is the main hinder the natural flow of the river.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) said cute to creating several sandy shoals on the Teesta River had been fall which effect hampers on agriculture, environment, communication, and livelihoods. At least 5,000 people at shoal villages in Sundarganj Upazila, Rangpur is a sufferer and a long area is desiccated in Rangpur.
Chandipur Union Parishad of the Upazila Golam Mostafa Ahmed chairman said to media that at least a thousand people become unemployed. And they will be employed for a season for a lack of fertility due to vast tracts of land along the riverbank remains unplanted.
December 4, 2014
National Earth Olympiad Begins
National Earth Olympiad (NEO) begins in the country. Now this is third season which covers 11 districts of the country with over 3000 expected participants. Any student who is studying in 8 through 12 grades is eligible to participate in this countrywide competition. Through this accurate search for the most talented youngsters of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI) will find the delegate team of Bangladesh for the 8th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) to be held in Magdalena Palace in Spain.
The Olympiad takes place in two rounds which are the divisional rounds and the National round. The toppers from the divisional rounds are put through a day long training session and then requested to the national round to be held in Dhaka. The champions of the national round are trained and sophisticated to constitute the Bangladesh delegate team for IESO’14.
A day long training camp with the top scorers of each division takes place in divisional rounds. The toppers are trained on climate change, sustainability and development, career in the environmental field, public speaking and effective communication, team building and leadership.
The top scorers from this round would be acknowledged with awards and certificates. However, they would be trained by the Department of Geology and Environment Science, University of Dhaka. Incidentally, the Olympiad organizes by Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI) with the collaboration of the Geology and Environment Science department of Dhaka University.
The National Earth Olympiad (NEO) intends to create consciousness about interconnected environmental issues among the younger generation and to nurture the talents of young students of high schools in the country for environmental leadership.
September 22, 2014
People Face Water Crisis in this Summer in Khulna
Ashik Rahman: The shortage of drinking water is turning into a major problem in summer because there are no deep tube wells in the groundwater level in Khulna. People in Khulna city and five Upazilas’ of the Khulna district face serious water crisis this summer.
Officials of the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) claim that around at least 2.5 million people of Khulna city and Dighalia, Dumuria, Rupsha and Batiaghata Upazilas’ became sufferer.
Officials of DPHE said to different media that groundwater level declined by 21 feet on an average in the five Upazilas in the economic year 2012-2013 while it declined by 26 feet in 2011. For this reason, people in numerous areas of these Upazilas’ need to depend on undrinkable pond water.
Some water experts said in media that “scanty rainfall, poor navigability and extreme use of underground water were the main reasons behind the fall.
September 20, 2014
Rivers in Bangladesh ‘Comatose’
Ashik Rahman: The locality and government are neglected to be responsible for the relentless degradation. As a source of livelihood, communication, and heart of people in Dhaka had been determined to the Buriganga River but now it’s a major source of running the capital. This happens due to pollution and building illegal property by robbing. So, now Rivers in Bangladesh is in ‘Comatose’
Along with Buriganga, Turag, Shitalakkhya, Balu and Bangshi is being a death trap for increasing pollution and also indiscriminate sand lifting. The minimal level of dissolved oxygen (DO) required for life to survive in these rivers do not have.
Researchers of The Department of Environment (DoE) had been an alarming message on levels of DO in these rivers after three months of research. They have analysis on various samples of a chemical whose were collected from these rivers and the levels of DO in Buriganga, Turag and Bangshi were 0.38, 0.59 and 0.0 milligram per liter gradually.
According to the Environment Protection Act (Amendment) 2010, the minimum required level DO is 5 mg/l for any water body to sustain aquatic species including fishes and others is. The minimal standard rate for water being eligible for treatment as drinking water is 6 mg/l.
Contacted with Environment Expert Dr Ahsan Uddin Ahmed over the phone, he said that “such a DO merge amount in water poses severe great threats to biodiversity and hydro-ecology”. “Random dumping of waste has put the rivers in and around the city in a blackout”.
Professor Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said that the government ought to shift the tannery diligence from the Hazaribagh, Dhaka. The chemical waste from the tanneries is a major polluter of these rivers. It’s important that The DoE research had been found that the level of DO at the Hazaribagh area of Buriganga River was 1.06, 0.50 and 1.0 mg/l in January, February and March gradually. And the Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is also very high in these waters.
September 16, 2014
DU established “Center for Climate Change Study and Resource Utilization”
Ashik Rahman: A new study institute titled “Center for Climate Change Study & Resource Utilization (CCCSRU)” has established at by the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Dhaka University in view of carrying out methodical and corresponding research on Climate Change matters.
The center will be a self-determining, and non-profit research and training institute dedicated mainly to the energy, environment and climate change issues. To initiate, promote, sponsor and organize scientific study effort on the various dimensions of problems and issues pertaining to Fossil Fuels, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Coal – their rational utilization and clean and energy-efficient processing technology, CO2 discharge reduction, Climate change, and its mitigation, nano and membrane knowledge, Waste management, water and air pollution and its technology for treatment, Energy policy are the main objectives of the Center.
Incidentally, there are fifteen members in governing body with the Vice-Chancellor of the University as Chairman, Deans of numerous faculties, Chairmen and Professors of concerning Departments as members and Director of the Center as member-secretary will govern the Center. Department of Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering of University professor Dr. Rafiqul Islam is the founder-director of the center.
June 20, 2014
Wild Animals Extinct from Mymensingh
Johirul Haque: Wild Animals Extinct from Mymensingh creates panic. Most of the species of wild animals have now become almost extinct from five districts of greater Mymensingh region. Absence of the implementation of laws for safe-guarding the animals, indiscrimination killing of animals, careless use of pesticides, felling of trees, burning down and clearing of bushes and hedges and drying up of aquatic habitat are the main reasons behind the depletion of the wild animals.
There are hilly forests best known as ‘Garo Forests’ mainly in Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona district.
There were also numerous small jungles and vast wetlands in the Mymensingh region. Each of the said geographical factors has contributed to the sustenance of different kinds of wild life both big and small in the region.
Many kinds of animals including leopard, wild buffalo, cow, hog, cock, peacock, spotted deer, jackals, goat, and wild cat; mongoose, red mouth monkey, black mouth baboon, porcupine, squirrel, hare, pangolin, and bobcat, etc were seen in Mymensingh and Madhupur Forests in the past. Even only three to four decades ago, many of the wild animals were available in the forests and jungles, said Divisional Forest official sources.
Besides, a large number of birds including hawk, kite, vulture, mynah, nightingale, swallow, owl, pigeon, dove, skylark, sparrow, woodpecker, parakeet, different varieties of martin, dove and king fisher were available in the forests.
There were also different varsities of reptiles and snakes including python and poisonous cobra, different varieties of frogs, numerous varieties of environment-friendly worms including earthworm, ant and white ant, different kinds of butterfly in forests of Mymensingh region.
Forest in greater Mymensingh region are shrinking fast due to indiscriminate cutting of trees, the encroachment of forestlands, use of forest land for rubber gardening and raising fruit orchards, officials said
The number of these wild animals has greatly reduced in the forests following the food crisis due to the unusual decrease of trees and plants in Madhupur and Bhaluka Sal Forests.
Contacted, Md. Moyeen Uddin Khan, Deputy Conservator of Forest in Mymensingh said that there are about 71,000 acres of government reserved forest in greater Mymensingh. Out of the total land, 29,000 acres of forest land have been grabbed forcibly and the occupied land is being used for banana and pineapple cultivation, said the official.
For preservation of wild animals, the government has taken initiatives including making fruit orchards, plantation of medicinal plants needed for wild animals. The local people should be made aware of the importance of wild animals needed for a balanced environment, the official added.
The writer is a journalist. He can be reached at E-mail: [email protected]
September 23, 2013
Sundarban
Ashik Rahman: Sundarban, proudly call by Bangladeshi people as home of tigers which situated at South-Western delta of the country. Sundarban has a huge collection of wild beings, gypsy fishermen; honey-collectors, risky and a mesmerizing mingle of rivers and the Bay of Bengal. This forest is the largest mangrove forest on earth. The meaning of Sundarban literally refers to “beautiful forest which comes from one kind of tree in the forest named ‘Sundari’ that is found in the Sundarbans in huge numbers.
This forest is the largest littoral mangrove belt in the world which widens 80 km into the Bangladeshi hinterland from the coastal area. The forests aren’t just mangrove swamps though; they include some of the last remaining stands of the mighty jungles which once covered the Gangetic plain.
Sundarban covers 6,000 square kilometers of Bangladeshi land bounded within three districts named Bagerhat, Khulna, and Sathkira in the North part of Bay of Bengal and in the South; Baleswar (or Haringhata) river, Perojpur, Barisal district in the East, and Raimangal and Hariabhanga in the West, sharing boundaries with the West Bengal (India). Sundarban lies in the vast delta on the Bay of Bengal formed by the super union of the Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. UNESCO declared Sundarban as a world heritage site in the year 1997.
Famous Spots: To seeing tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles, birds and the natural beauty of the forest, Hiron Point and Katka point are the best spots. Tin Kona Island and Dublar Chor is also a good place for seeing tiger and deer in Sundarban.
How to go: Although water transports are the best for this area tourist can go there by bus or, air. Tourists can start their journey from the capital’s Gabtoli bus terminal. Bus departures from Dhaka every 15 minutes after and will reach Khulna. Another route is air which fly from Dhaka to Jessore. Tourists can go from Jessore to Khulna by bus. If tourists can go there by water way, he/she needs to go to the capital’s Sadarghat to starts a journey with the ship. Both day and night-long coach services by road are available in every route.
To visit Sundarban, permission must be taken through written application from the divisional Forest Office and pay required entrance fees for visitors. Tourist also pays for vessels or boats at the appropriate forest station or range office. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (Government tour Service) and other tour operating agencies have guided package tour package from Dhaka to Sundarbans.
Reference: http://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2011/03/02/travel.htm
September 20, 2013