The Pollution of the Buriganga

The Pollution of the Buriganga: Its Environmental and Economic Impact 

Table of Contents 1.0

Introduction Introductio n .................. ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. .................. ........... 1

1.1

Origin of the Report .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............... 1

1.2

Objectives of the Report .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ...... 1

1.2.1

Primary Objective .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ......... 1

1.2.2

Secondary Objectives .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ... 2

1.3

Scope of the Report .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............... 2

1.4

Limitations of the Report................................. ................ ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ......... 2

1.5

Methodology ................................. ................ ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. .................. ........ 3

2.0

The Buriganga river system.................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ...... 4

3.0

The Current Situation .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............... 5

4. 0

Causes of the pollution of Buriganga ................. .................. ................. .................. .................. ........ 7

4.1

History of the pollution ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ......... 7

4.2

Brief overview of the main sources ................................. ............... .................. ................. ................. .................. ......... 8

4.2.1

Industrial units ................................. ................ ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............... 8

4.2.2

Domestic and solid wastes ................................. ............... .................. ................. .................. .................. ............ 10

4.2.3

Local vessels ................. .................. ................. ................. .................. ................. ................ 12

4.2.4

Sedimentation ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............. 12

4.2.5

Encroachment ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............. 13

5.0

Impacts on Environment Due to Buriganga River Pollution ................. ................. .................. ....... 14

5.1

Impacts stretching boundaries .................................. ................ .................. ................. .................. .................. ............ 16

5.2

Water use in question ................................. ................ ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .......... 16

5.3

Impact on food chain ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. .......... 18

5.4

Lust ends nowhere .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............. 19

6.0

Impacts on Economy Due to Buriganga River pollution ................... .. ................. .................. .................. ......... 20

6.1

Scarcity of Clean Water ................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ....... 20

6.2

Obliteration of Fisheries......................... Fisheries....... .................. ................. .................. ................. .................. ............... 21

6.3

Navigation problem ................................. ................ ................. .................. ................. .................. ................. ............. 22

6.4 7.0

Reduction in Tourism Attractiveness ................................. ............... .................. ................. ................. .................. .... 23 Steps Taken so far .................. ................. ................. .................. ................. ................. .................. . 24

7.1

Relocation of the Hazaribag tannery .................................. ................ .................. ................. ................. .................. .... 24

7.2

Plan to Import water from Jamuna River .................. ................. .................. ................. ............. 26

7.3

Step taken by the previous caretaker government ................. .................. .................. ............... 27

7.4

Concern expressed by our lawyers .................................. ................ .................. ................. .................. .................. ...... 27

7.5

Works by Awareness Groups ................. ................. ................. .................. .................. ............... 27

8.0

Recommendations ................. ................. ................. .................. ................. ................. .................. . 29

Executive summary

Bangladesh is a country renowned for the countless rivers that create an intricate network across it. These rivers are what make Bangladesh a very unique country of the South East region of the globe. One of the oldest and most well-known rivers is the Buriganga River. The River Buriganga is the life line of the Dhaka city and flanked in its southern side. However, very sadly this historic and mystic river has now been severely polluted by the uncontrolled sewerage effluent from the city.

This report looks into the major causes of pollution and concludes that nine industrial areas in and around Dhaka are mainly responsible for the current situation of the Buriganga River. The tanneries, dyeing mills, plastic and rubber product manufacturing plants and pesticide factories dump huge volumes of industrial effluent into the river daily. In addition to that the careless disposal of plastic bottles and containers, used batteries and polythene are also choking the river. Domestic wastes flow into this river causing further pollution. Dhaka Wasa happens to have just one sewage treatment plant and since this is not sufficient, most of the sewage ends up flowing down the Buriganga. The dumping of millions of tons of human and industrial waste has turned the water pitch black. It is not just the water that is being polluted; the noxious smells emanating from the toxic pollutants in the river also create massive air pollution.

This report found out that nearly four million people directly suffer the consequence of the poor water quality. These people are neither able to use this water for washing nor for irrigation. In fact, even fishing is not possible since the aquatic life is steadily declining due to the extensive water pollution. Shipping vessels plying the waters of the Buriganga also are very insensitive to this issue and they often spill lots of oil and other chemicals into the river. Encroachment of the river by the influential segment of the country is also a big threat to the river. Illegal structures including houses, bazaars, ports and brickfields are sprouting up on the river bank and hindering the river flow. The loss of course of the river results in a narrower river

vii

bed which makes the Buriganga more vulnerable to flooding. To prevent this, the river is often dredged but this causes the branching rivers and canals to dry up; ultimately, the land grabbers get more opportunity to construct illegal structures. All these are leading to the economic detriment of Bangladesh. The fisheries export industry and the tourism industry are badly suffering due to the pollution in the Buriganga. The report ends with a glance into the activities of non no n profit groups such as „Save Buriganga‟ which are trying to free the river from the clutches of industrial pollution and vicious land grabbers. The main thing that needs to be done is to relocate the tanneries further away from the river. Also, more efficient effluent treatment plants are urgently needed.

viii

1.0

Introduction This part entails how the report has been originated, what this report attempts to unearth, the scope and limitation of the study, and lastly, how the data have been collected.

1.1

Origin of the Report 

This report has been undertaken as a partial fulfillment of the course titled Economics of  Geography & Environment (G101) instructed to us by Professor Amanat Ullah Khan, Guest faculty, IBA, University of Dhaka. The course instructor had assigned to us a report on any environmental issue of social significance. We chose to do it on the very river on whose left bank our capital city Dhaka is located  – the  –  the once mighty Buriganga River, which very sadly is on the brink of death today primarily because of human activities.

1.2

Objectives of the Report 

The objectives of the study are two-fold and are described as follows

1.2.1

Primary Objective

Our prime goal is to gain a comprehensive insight into the current situation of the dying Buriganga river and find out ways to save it, while fulfilling the task given to us by Professor Amanat Ullah Khan, as a part of our Economics of Geography & Environment course. We aim to gain an in depth idea of the root causes of pollution in the Buringanga River and also of its impact in our lives.

1

1.2.2

Secondary Objectives

In order to fulfill the primary objectives, the secondary objectives are:



to identify the major causes of pollution in the river



to learn about encroachment on the banks of the river



to find out how the pollution in the river is harming the locality of the Buriganga



to find out how the pollution eventually leads to problems in the economy of  Bangladesh



to gain an insight into the steps taken by the government and also by not-for-profit organizations so far to save the Buriganga.

1.3

Scope of the Report 

This report has been done on the pollution in the Buriganga. The report primarily focuses on the activities of human beings that are leading to the death of the river. It does not focus much on the natural forces acting on it. The report also covers all those steps that can be taken to save the Buriganga from the clutches of the rapidly spreading pollution.

1.4

Limitations of the Report 

As the citizens of Bangladesh are getting more and more environment conscious every day, much is being written on issues such as the pollution in the Buringanga River. Hence ample secondary information was available for the preparation of this report, from websites and newspaper articles. Therefore no limitations were faced regarding data collection. However, time constraint was faced. It would have been possible to cover each topic in this report in greater detail than it has been, had more time been available.

2

1.5

Methodology

The information used in this report has been collected completely from secondary sources. No primary sources were used since it was not deemed necessary to do so.

■

The internet was a main source of background information about the Buriganga River. It not only provided us with a background of the river but also provided us information regarding the current state of the river, the nature of the industries causing pollution, the vicious land grabbers and so on. Finally, the various websites also provided information regarding what should and should not be done if the river is to be protected. The links used for the purpose of this report include:

■

Newspaper articles and write-ups of eminent environmentalists from different magazines were also used. Articles from the Daily Star and other newspapers provided relevant quantitative and qualitative information.

3

2.0

The Buriganga river system The Buriganga River system is located in the southeastern part of the North Central Region of Bangladesh, close to the confluence of the Padma (Ganges) and Upper Meghna Rivers. The Buriganga is a tributary to the Dhaleswari River, which, after the Old Brahmaputra River, is the largest river in the North Central Region. The Lakhya River  joins the Dhaleswari, 11 km downstream of the Buriganga Buriganga confluence. confluence. The Dhaleswari drains into the Meghna River, just upstream of the Padma confluence.

Figure: The rivers around Dhaka

The Buriganga is fed mainly by the Turag River, which receives flows from local rainfall and spill flows from the left bank of the Jamuna River. The Lakhya River drains a large catchment lying between the central forested areas and the Old Brahmaputra. Additional inflows to the system originate from the Balu, which drains a small catchment to the west

4

of the Lakhya, and from the Ichamati and Karnatali Rivers, which carry mainly spills from the Padma and Jamuna Rivers respectively. The lower reaches of the Dhaleswari-Buriganga-Lakhya system are tidal during the dry season when upstream inflows are minimal. Saline intrusion, however, does not take place.

3.0

The Current Situation Buriganga is in a dire state with pollution and encroachment eating away at its existence day by day. The river carries only toxic waste water during the seven months of the dry season (November-May). Even the wet season offers no refuge. Industrial dumping and domestic wastes make the water so contaminated that no aquatic animal can survive in the poisonous river water, let alone be used by locals for everyday purposes. A recently published report has pointed out that there are over 7,000 industrial units including- dyeing mills, tanneries, rubber and plastic product factories, pesticide factories-in the Dhaka metropolitan area. Of  these, the dyeing factories and the tanneries are the biggest polluters. Each day about 900 cubic metres of untreated domestic and industrial effluents are discharged into the Buriganga-Turag system. Industries at these areas discharge untreated washing and Figure: The polluted black water of the buriganga

clinical wastes, used batteries, plastic bottles and containers, and other discarded plastic materials and burnt oil into the river water.

Moreover locals and vessel operators randomly dump solid wastes into the BurigangaTurag system. Huge quantities of discarded polythene, household wastages and human

5

excrete causes hazard to the marine life and make the water lethal. They also dump the useless solid wastes of crushed materials into the river.

Figure: In Figure:  In the present scenario scenario the river banks are occupied occupied mostly by illegal illegal structures.

Encroachment is a serious issue in Dhaka. Buriganga banks are often reclaimed and built upon. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created illegal structures on the river bank. This loss of river bank means a narrower river bed which exacerbates flooding. Authorities had launched several drives to free the Buriganga river bank from the illegal structures in the past. Arrests had been made, encroached structures destroyed but in the end the loopholes of the system allow the land grabbers to come back again and resettle in the illegal territory.

6

4. 0 Causes of the pollution of Buriganga The river Buriganga has become polluted over the years causing serious environmental degradation in the capital and its surroundings. The pollution problems are the outcome of both natural as well as human activities and interventions and also due to lack of  adequate pollution control measures. The natural reasons behind the problems include hydraulic and morphological changes in the rivers around Dhaka. Due to gradual sedimentation in the Buriganga-Turag-BaluLakhya river systems, the conveyance capacities of the channels have decreased, causing no flow condition during the dry season and consequently the navigation drafts have been reduced. Moreover, the feeder-rivers from the source of the Brahmaputra do not receive flows due to drying up of the distributaries during the dry season. Heavy sedimentation at the off take and river reaches is the major problem impeding sustainable development. Human activities and interventions include encroachment on the river bed, floodplains and low lying areas, sewage and solid waste disposal, insufficient water supply and sanitation, industrial waste disposal and high rate of migration of the poor people in the slum areas of Dhaka. The dumping of untreated liquid tannery wastes from tannery industries at Hazaribagh, Dhaka is the major source of pollution of Buriganga. Besides contaminated water dumped everyday from the 500 kilometre long sewerage line of  Dhaka city is another important reason for water pollution in the river. Other reasons responsible for water pollution in the river Buriganga include dumping of oil from vessels plying on the river, human wastes from unsanitary latrines set up on or near the river. Illegal settlements on both sides of the river are also responsible for both water pollution and obstacles to the course of the river.

4.1

History of the pollution Pollution of Buriganga River dates back to the Mughal period. At that time, the sewage of the city used to be dumped into the river. Historians state that, people used to get bad smell one and half kilometers away from Buriganga River even in the late 19th century. The then British administration showed concern about the river, since the water level used to decrease to an alarming level during the dry season. Renowned Scottish town 7

planner Patrick Geddes made a master plan for Dhaka City including the Buriganga River in 1917. The then administration also made some plans to save Buriganga from the grasp of ongoing pollution caused by domestic sewage. However, the pollution of the river was at a tolerable level till the Pakistani period. But after Liberation, the pollution exceeded all limits because of encroachment, unplanned urbanization and establishment of  polluting industries in the city. Water pollution has taken so devastating a turn that the river has become intolerably contaminated and lifeless.

4.2

Brief overview of the main sources Several studies on the Buriganga River have identified many causes for the river's pollution such as sedimentation at the upstream, encroachment, and disposal of solid wastes, sewage and industrial wastes in the river. All of these source of pollution stem from the over population of the metropolitan. The city passed its carrying capacity a long time. 4.2.1 Industrial units

The main causes of the pollution can undoubtedly be linked to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse by the numerous industrial units on the banks of the Buriganga. More than 7,000 units of industries for textiles, metals, chemicals, rubber, pharmaceuticals, cement, leather, pulp, paperboards, fertilizer, food processing, and petroleum refining in the city area are discharging 1.3 million cubic metres of untreated industrial effluents in the rivers, an outstanding violation of the Environment Conservation Rule 1997. The Institute of Water Modeling (IWM), a government established trust has identified four industrial clusters and many other small zones as the major pollutants of BurigangaTurag rivers. Of these clusters the hydrologists identify tanneries as the biggest polluters. About 500 tanneries including 200 large units in Hazaribagh are discharging 4.75 million litres of a variety of extremely toxic wastes into the river. On top of this 95 metric tones of  solid and hazardous wastes including trimmings of finished leather, shaving dusts, hair, fleshing, trimming of raw hides and skins are also dumped in the area's open drains every year.

8

The Hazaribagh Hazaribagh tannery complex and other industries, primarily the the glue and paint

industries in

the same general location, have affected water and air quality in the large poorly drained area locked behind a nine meters high flood control embankment constructed in 1989-1990 in southwest Dhaka City. Up until the time of embankment construction, the contaminants were washed to the Buriganga river by annual flooding. At present, the existing sewage outfalls, the

sewage lift operations consisting of 16 pumps and local residential drains are not adequate to properly and efficiently remove all the waste products generated by the factories and population of the area. This is partly a maintenance problem but an environmental problem has been created by the discharging of wastewater with excessively high solids content and a dangerous level of chromium among other heavy metals and toxic materials. Beginning in late 2000 an unknown quantity of  the tannery effluent which previously had remained in stagnant waters and drains in the lowlands behind the Dhaka Flood Protection Embankment was being released through large underground pipes into the Buriganga River at Katasur near the Rayerbazar memorial. Tannery solid wastes have accumulated in the sludge deposits of drains since the construction of the Figure: Chemical effluents entering river water 

embankment.

However, these drains are flushed during the rainy season, the sludge being carried along as suspended sediment. During the dry season the area is submerged by tannery wastewater and the contaminated wastewater pond areas are now approximately 8-10 times larger than that of the pre-embankment period. It is quite possible that toxic sludge is accumulating on the bottom of the large ponds where it is unlikely to be pumped out. The glue and paint industries also create pollutants which affect this area. No effort has been made to distinguish the impact of these two industries. There is a lesser problem related to the disposal of household wastes as only 32 per cent of local residences are connected to the sewer system. 9

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) notes that the chrome containing sludge and solid waste, especially fleshing wastes, that is generated by the tanneries at Hazaribagh is collected by Dhaka City Corporation and is dumped in the landfills. This is shifting the pollution problem to the outskirts of the city. Moreover, the chrome containing solid wastes of wet-blue trimmings and shavings is often incinerated in the tannery boiler oven, resulting in the release of hexavalent chrome containing particles in the air. Moreover, the geologists have found hazardous heavy metals in the underground area of tanneries, since sludge, containing heavy metals, are not of disposed properly. Health experts claim such polluting agents have every possibility of creating cancerous diseases. Besides, there are many small units on both sides of Buriganga between BangladeshChina Friendship Bridge 1 and 2, mainly located at Babubazar, Jinjira, Kaliganj, Postagola and Shyampur. There are small shipyards, dyeing units and small industries at these areas that discharge untreated washing and clinical wastes, used batteries, plastic bottles and containers, and other discarded plastic materials and burnt oil into the river water. They also dump the useless solid wastes of crushed materials into the river. Most of the industries do not have any treatment facility for wastewaters. Treatment plants possessed by a few industries, however, do not operate regularly. While most of  the industries discharge wastewater into drains or canals, which ultimately fall into nearby water courses. Some of the industries dump the wastewater directly on the ground. Some of them, situated by the side of rivers, discharge their wastewaters into the rivers through underground/concealed pipes, which are not visible from the land or water surface. 4.2.2

Domestic and solid wastes

As mentioned before, Discarding domestic wastes and solid wastes into the Buriganga has been a common practice amongst the city dwellers since the Mughal period. Even after couple of centuries, government agencies such as Rajdhani Unnyan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Department of Environment (DoE) Bangladesh Inland Water Transport 10

Authority (BIWTA) and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) have failed to stop disposal of solid wastes and domestic wastes into the river bodies. Several studies show that, each day about 900 cubic meters untreated domestic and industrial effluents are discharged into the Buriganga-Turag system. Dhaka WASA has only one sewage treatment plant at Pagla with a capacity of 0.12 million cubic metres per day, which is only 10 percent of the total disposal of sewage. But plagued by system loss and mismanagement, the treatment plant is operating at one third of its capacity. Industrial waste should not be allowed to enter the domestic sewage network as it interferes with treatment plants. As a result, Buriganga and other rivers and canals are Dhaka's main outlet of sewage waste. Statistics say, up to 80 percent of Dhaka's untreated sewage is drained in Buriganga-Turag channel. Each day a huge volume of domestic waste of the entire area from Gazipur to Munshiganj, is discharged into Turag-Buriganga rivers. Every day tons of wastes are dumped into the river along the riverbanks between Kamrangir Char Bridge and the second Buriganga Bridge.

Figure: Industrial waste, followed by municipal and domestic wastes account for 60% of  river pollution

There are also 300 brick kilns around draining their wastes into the river. Industrial waste accounts for 60 per cent of the river's pollution, followed by municipal waste. Even hospital waste is dumped into this river. River transportation contributes in a small way. Only the annual monsoon replenishes the river but very slightly. Experts say pollutionfree water contains around seven milligram dissolved oxygen and the level must not fall 11

lower than 4.0 milligram. In some parts of the river the level of dissolved oxygen was found to be near zero, what is technically known as biological oxygen demand is ten times higher than normal in the Buriganga waters. 4.2.3

Local vessels

Local vessel operators indiscriminately dump solid wastes into the Buriganga, completely disregarding the DCC laws. BIWTA sources confirm that they get huge quantities of  discarded polythene deposited beneath the water during dredging. The materials from breaking of buildings of the riverbanks also add hazardous substances into the river. There are many other offenders abusing the river. Innumerable mechanized trawlers and vessels ply in the rivers of Dhaka. Ignorance about the adverse environmental effects of  dumping waste materials from the vessels such as solid wastes and burnt oil and BIWTA's lack of stringent laws against such dumping as well as lack enforcement have all contributed to the pollution.

Figure: Local vessels that ply on the Buriganga are one of the main polluters

4.2.4

Sedimentation

In the dry season, due to the sedimentation upstream, the flow of Buriganga-Turag system gets cut off. The hydrologists and engineers of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) inform that the flow of water at that time is next to zero. During this

12

period of time the system mainly carries sewage and industrial effluents. Therefore sedimentation indirectly contributes to the increase in river water pollution. Sedimentation could be caused by means both natural and man-made. Sedimentation can be caused by man-made non-biodegradable materials like polythene. A recent survey found that a polythene stratum measuring about 10 feet in thickness was embedded under a certain stretch of the Buriganga. The river remains terribly polluted from domestic and industrial wastes and the polythene makes it worse, especially given the shallowness of  the river. River dredging can be a viable solution to this problem. But this requires high investment and most importantly the Government‟s interest, to come onto effect. 4.2.5

Encroachment 

Encroachment has always been a big threat to rivers consuming the banks and narrowing them further and further. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created illegal structures including houses, bazaars, ghats (port), brickfields etc. on the river that has created obstacles on the flow of the river. Construction of unauthorized structures on the banks of the Buriganga is going on unabated. Drives conducted at different times failed to keep the banks free from encroachment due to the absence of sustainable measures. The encroachers keep returning and have reconstructed about 200 structures which were demolished earlier, grabbing about 50 acres of

land.

In a recent survey, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) identified 326 illegal structures, 50 per cent of which were demolished earlier during several drives conducted by the BIWTA and district administration. The government taskforce that was formed to save the Buriganga recommended immediate cancellation of all leases of land on its banks and a stop to future leases.

13

Figure: One of the many sites of encroachment on the Buriganga

There is a need for creating a powerful body to free the rivers from the

clutches of 

the encroachers encroachers and polluters, instead of having so many non- functional ornamental bodies. There should be sufficient scope for devising ways and means so that the land or water bodies, once recovered from the land grabbers, cannot be recaptured. The land grabbers, through their illegal settlements have blocked up the natural passage of the river water. Other than the encroachment, the land grabber also pollute the river indiscriminately, disposing waste materials, both sewerage and effluents, into the water.

5.0

Impacts on Environment Due to Buriganga River Pollution The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, is situated on the bank of the river Buriganga. The water of Buriganga is polluted by industrial waste and capital sewage which cause her to become biologically dead. Tannery waste is mainly contaminating the river. Around 20,000 cubic meters of  untreated highly toxic liquid waste flow in to the Buriganga through canals according to a recent report of the Department of Environment (DoP). These tanneries are mainly situated in Hazaribag few kilometres away from capital. Due to over pollution of surface

14

water, ground water of Hazaribag is getting polluted. The contamination of Buriganga is threatenning the existence of three other rivers Turag, Balu & Shitalakhya. Several environmental processes are involved with the Buriganga. Its pollution is harming the surrounding agricultural and aquatic environment. The deteriorating condition of the river is also having an impact on the people living in its banks and depending on it for a living.

The pressures on the river and their state and impacts are tabulated in the table below:

Pressures Pollution :  Industrial effluent  Domestic sewage  Faecal pollution  Oil spill  Encroachment  Sand extraction

State 

Decreasing inland water quality in dry season  Declining fish population  Decreasing vegetation  Increasing river unpredictability

Impacts  

  

 

Pressure on water source Fish mortality and decline on quality of fish Degradation of  fish habitat Yield reduction Increase in risk from water borne diseases Marine aquatic life affected River bank erosion, changes of river courses, navigable channels.

15

5.1

Impacts stretching boundaries

Industrial discharge and sewage disposal into Buriganga river are the two most polluting sources of water pollution. The pollution is mostly due to wastewater discharge from the tannery industries in the Hazaribagh area and Tejgaon chemical and paper mills into the river. Pollutants from these industries are categorized into three parts: i.

bio-degradable organic waste

ii.

non bio-degradable inorganic waste

iii.

toxic waste

Disposal of such untreated industrial waste is gradually destroying aquatic environments of the river and this in turn is affecting people‟s health. Millions of cubic metres of toxic waste from the Hazaribagh tanneries and thousands of other industries, topped with a huge volume of untreated sewage from the city, now remain almost stagnant within the river water. The situation is set to continue until a new flow of water rushes in from the upstream.

5.2

Water use in question

Extremely hazardous air pollution is generated by the highly toxic water as it releases a 'gas' that starts irritating the nostrils and throat as soon as humans breathe it. Its foul odours can be smelled from as far away as half a kilometre. In summer the situation is worse. The river becomes pitch black and releases noxious smell.

The fetid smell of the river water has made it unsuitable for drinking and other purposes. As a result there is a shortage of water source. People living along the river are the worst victims of the pollution.

16

The river water is no longer healthy to drink. Analysis of surface water shows that the level of dissolved oxygen in the river water is too low or sometimes non-existent as the toxic effluents are discharged into the river. The toxic quotient of the river exceeds tolerable limits in the months of January and February. The seasonal variation of water quality in the Buriganga is linked with seasonal variation of water flow and the operation of the tanneries. The seasonality of flow in the watercourses from the river constitutes a significant constraint to its ability to dilute and disperse effluent discharged into it. So as already mentioned, the pollutants sometimes stay for a long time in the same place in the river in concentrated form unless water from upstream does not flush them away thus harming the overall water quality.

The

river

parameter

water set

by

hardly the

satisfies

the

quality

Environmental

Quality

Standards (EQS) thus showing the unsuitability of  the water to be used for irrigation, bathing, and washing of household items. The tube wells for drinking water is also inappropriate to use due to groundwater pollution. Concentration of dissolved heavy metals such as chromium and iron in the groundwater is forcing the inhabitants to rely on expensive alternative water supply. Figure: Even though the water is is too filthy some have no choice but  to use it 

Thousands of water transport workers, working on the passenger and cargo vessels in Sadarghat, are forced to bring water from the river Meghna and Dhaleswari for washing. Unable to take a bath or wash clothes for days, many of them have even begun to suffer from various diseases. The washermen too have their share of problems because of river pollution. Those living near the Buriganga struggle to wash clothes in the river during the dry season as the water become too filthy. Even so, some washermen have no choice but to wash the clothes in such dirty water.

17

The scenario is even bleaker in the villages along the river, in the upstream of the Buriganga. Hundreds of thousands of families living in Zinzira, Kholamora, Kamrangirchar, Jhaochar, Modhyerchar, Wasspur, Basila and Looterchar face a severe water crisis for at least six months a year. Dependent on the river for generations, this population has been cut off from using the river water. They are now forced to travel miles to get water for their daily chores. However, the slum inhabitants in the tanneries have to use the water from Buriganga for bathing, washing and sometimes drinking. Nobody knows how much harm and potential carcinogen diseases will occur to them. They are already the victims of several water bred diseases like dysentery, diarrhoea, cholera and shigella food poisoning. Owing to the direct disposal of city and industrial sewage into Buriganga, faecal pollution has become prominent. Diseases like cholera and diarrhoea are transmitted by faecal contamination of water. People living in slums around the city use these contaminated water purpose

for and

all this

recreational results

in

spreading of water-borne and skin diseases. The pollutants are stagnant in the river since the water flow is low in the river except during monsoons.

This

stagnancy

accelerates the population of  mosquitoes and thus expedites

Figure: Direct disposal of sewage pollutes the river 

the spread of vector borne diseases like malaria, dengue hemorrhagic fever and filariasis.

5.3

Impact on food chain

Pollution in the river has destroyed the river water's ecosystem and also rendered hundreds of acres of totally barren agricultural land. To exacerbate the pollution, the ferries spill oil into the river. Fishes exposed to oil spill and toxins in the water causes the 18

fish and other marine animals such as river dolphins to get infected. Because oil floats on top of water, less light penetrates into the water, limiting the photosynthesis of marine plants and phytoplankton. This endangers the flora and fauna of Buriganga and also affects the food chain in the ecosystem. Oil spills and toxins from pollutants have reduced the fish population in the river. There has been degradation of the fish habitat and thus a decline in the quality of fish. Fishes are found rotting in the river adding to the unbearable stench. This reduced yield of fish has affected many fishermen, who live in the banks of Buriganga, economically. Also consumption of  the contaminated fish is causing dangerous diseases such as food poisoning and other gastro intestinal diseases, especially among the poorer section. Agricultural lands in the villages around the river have become barren. The river water used for irrigation is responsible for this. The water has dissolved heavy metal and other toxins that kills plantation. As a result when the poisonous water has been used for irrigation it has destroyed vegetation and has made the land unproductive for further agricultural activity. This has harmed the inhabitants socially as well as economically.

5.4

Lust ends nowhere Another human intervention in the Buriganga river system is the encroachment of the river by the influential. Encroachment, of course, has always been a big threat to the river. It is eating away the banks of Buriganga and is narrowing it further. Politically backed influential land encroachers have created illegal structures including houses, bazaars, ports, brickfields etc. on the river that has created obstacles on the flow the river. 19

The river bed‟s loss of course means a narrower bed which exacerbates flooding. In an effort to reduce flooding, the river is often dredged. Ironically this results in the branching rivers and canals drying up which are subjected to further land grabbing. One more recent problem is the officials allowing sand traders to extract much more sand than the permitted quantity from riverbeds in the capital, an act that is threatening the channels and courses of the city‟s rivers and the densely populated localities along their  banks the sand traders are extracting with powerful dredgers in massive amounts. Unscientific sand extraction from the riverbeds not only makes the rivers extremely unpredictable but also destroys their courses, navigable channels and environment. The unscrupulous removal of sand from the river bed is causing serious threat of river bank  erosion affecting the security of the inhabitants.

6.0

Impacts on Economy Due to Burigan Buriganga ga River pollution The effects of this unabated pollution on the environment can have dire economic consequences. These are discussed below.

6.1

Scarcity of Clean Water The universal appeal of water for people makes rivers valuable economic development assets of a country. With a huge population of nearly 14 million, Dhaka city‟s water  consumption demand is over 2,200 million liters at approximately 1.57 liters per person per day. Dhaka Wasa is unable to meet this demand with scarcity of resources and system loss. Wasa generally meets about 15% of its water needs from surface water sources and the rest is obtained from deep tube-wells exploiting underground water aquifers. Due to pollution of surface water, increasing population and industrial growth, Wasa has been forced to sink such tube wells in places like Mirpur, Shyamoli, Khilgaon and Bashabo. This, in turn, is lowering the city water table at a faster rate than the rate of recharge. So in the not too distant future underground water sources could be exhausted. The main future potential source thus has to be surface water from rivers such as Buriganga. 20

But due to both industrial and domestic waste dumping, water in Buriganga is so polluted that, even after treatment with required chemicals, it is not completely free of ammonia. According to WASA sources, water treatment plants along the river Buriganga are unable to treat the thoroughly polluted water of the river and as such, some residents cannot use its water for drinking purpose. The Sayedabad water treatment plant, which in normal circumstances produces 228 million litres of water, has now been reduced to a state where there is a shortfall in the supply of water by as much as 60 million litres. So scarcity of water is highly plausible with current scenario of massive pollution in Buriganga and other surrounding rivers. More surface water treatment plants have to be built to keep up with the demand for water. So pollution is hurting the economy by constraining sources for water which eventually results in greater costs.

6.2

Obliteration of Fisheries Liquid waste is contaminating the waters of the Buriganga River on the surface as well as the ground water resource base. During the lean season, the Buriganga River turns deadly for fish and other sub aquatic organisms. The Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) also reflects the pollution rate of water. It depicts the capability of water to destroy germs and the lower the BOD the less polluted the water is. According to a study by BUET Civil Department in January, 2007, BOD in the water of Buriganga at Hazaribarg area is 28, which indicates extremely polluted water. When solid waste and effluents run into the river, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water rises, creating oxygen is calamitous for the sub aqueous life.

21

In fact the water of the Buriganga has become so polluted that its aquatic life has almost been ruined. Effluents of tannery factories lower the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of the river water below the critical level of four milligrams per liter. In some parts of the river the level of  dissolved oxygen was found to be near zero (unsuitable for aquatic life). It is feared that these natural resources are in decline (in both diversity

and

 jeopardizing  jeopardizing

the

number) prospects

thus for

sustainable development. Figure: Aquatic life in Buriganga has become almost non-existant due to pollution

Most of the local fishermen have already abandoned their livelihood due to fish deficiency in the river. Trade of fish revolving around Buriganga is virtually destroyed resulting in deteriorated local economy.

6.3

Navigation problem

The Buriganga and her mother river Dhaleswari connect Dhaka to the other rivers and through them with almost all the districts of Bangladesh. Sadarghat, a large quay on the river Buriganga, is the gateway to the capital city from the southern districts of the country. It is the country‟ country ‟s main waterway for trading and ferry travel.

22

Figure: Navigability is reduced to a great extent because of pollution in Buriganga

But due to the current situation of severe waste dumping in the river large steamers can no longer through the river channels during dry seasons. Due to gradual sedimentation in the Buriganga river system, the conveyance capacities of the channels have decreased and consequently the navigation drafts have been reduced.

6.4

Reduction in Tourism Attractiveness Situated roughly in the center of the country, Buriganga‟s rich historical background, natural beauty and great economic importance qualifies it as an attractive tourism destination. But severe pollution in Buriganga has mutilated the river and destroyed the great potential as a tourist spot.

Figure: Pollution has marred the beauty of the once mighty Buriganga

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7.0

Steps Taken so far Now we come to the discussion of what the relevant authorities are doing to deal with the theats facing the Buringanga.

7.1

Relocation of the Hazaribag tannery

The Hazaribagh Tannery Relocation Project (HTRP) was undertaken by the Industries Ministry in 2003 to save the capital city and the Buriganga River from toxic pollution. The government is bearing the entire cost of the project from its own pocket while Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) is implementing this project at Kantiboilapur, Chandranarayanpur and Charnarayanpur in Savar. Sources said the project was made following the guideline prepared and submitted by experts of the United Nations Industrial Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in 1996.

Under the

project, all tannery industries will be relocated to Savar from the city's Hazaribagh area and waste treatment plants will be set up to save the environment from further pollution. To implement the project, the BSCIC acquired 200 acres of land in Savar and started development of the land in 2007. Of the total amount, Tk 1.0 billion was earmarked for development of land and other facilities for the tannery industries, while Tk 700 million for setting up the waste treatment plants and other works. Hazaribagh is home to almost 200 tanneries, which produce several thousand tonnes of toxic wastes and industrial effluents daily, causing environmental pollution and exposing the city population to great public health risks. A total of 195 industrial plots will be developed on 145 acres of land and the remaining 55 acres will be used for construction of roads, BSCIC offices, hospital, and mosque. BSCIC will develop four types of industrial plots -- A, B, C and S. A three-member UNIDO team visited Bangladesh in November 1996, to see the overall situation of industrial waste treatment and management. They visited Hazaribagh tannery industries, the Buriganga River and exchanged views with the people concerned, including government officials about the possible solution to the problem. In its report, the UNIDO suggested the government to take up a plan for pollution control and treatment of tannery effluents at Hazaribagh. Other UNIDO suggestions included 24

installation of Chromium Recovery and Reuse Unit (CRRU) at each tannery and setting up of a Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) Although the government is persuading the tannery owners to start shifting their factories from Hazaribagh to Savar, most of them are reluctant to relocate their plants as a central effluent treatment plant (CETP) has not yet been built at Savar. A High Court order is also pending on the proposed CEPT. Besides, most of the commercial banks are refusing to transfer the existing mortgages in Hazaribagh to the new sites at Savar.

However according to owners, it is not possible to start shifting before such problems regarding CETP and its establishment is resolved. Moreover, they say moving to Savar leather estate without a CETP is the same as staying at Hazaribagh. The issue of  compensation for relocation costs should also be considered before the shifting, especially in the light of losses to the industry due to global economic recession, they added.

Approximately more than 200 plots have been allocated so far to 154 tannery owners to date. All the tanneries in Hazaribagh received orders from the High Court to leave the area by February 28, 2010. The court also ordered all industries to set up effluent treatment plants by June the same year. As per the ruling of the bench, factories polluting the environment would either have to install ETPs or suitable devices within June 2010 or would be closed in July that year. The bench also asked the Home Secretary, Inspector General of Police and Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to provide the authorities concerned with sufficient logistics and police forces to close the eco-unfriendly industries. The court said it would continue proceedings of the case until its directives to prevent environmental pollution are implemented. Indeed, the government's inaction in installing a waste treatment plant has been delaying the relocation of the leather industries. It was scheduled to hand over the industrial estate to the tanners by 2010 as per agreement. Reports say escalation of project cost by almost five times is the main cause of delay in the project work. The complex procedure for inviting fresh tender for CETP is taking too long. The government had prepared the first 25

project proposal in 2003. According to the proposal, the estimated cost of the three-year project was Tk 1.75 billion that increased to Tk 5.45 billion in the revised proposal in 2007. In 2003, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association (BFLLFEA) and Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) signed a tripartite agreement to implement the project. The government took the decision to relocate Hazaribagh tanneries to Savar to save the capital and Buriganga river from toxic pollution caused by industrial wastes. The bleak outlook of the project is underscored by its cost escalation; what started out as an estimated cost of Tk 1.75 billion is set to escalate now by Tk 1.87 billion. Dhaleshwari”, As the present site for relocation stands on the eastern bank of the river'' Dhaleshwari”, near Tetulia of Savar, about 20 km. upstream of Dhaka. The planned CETP will discharge about 21000 cubic meter of waste water in to the river. As the Dhaleshwari river lies upstream of the Buriganga, the wastewater will virtually enter the Buriganga and again its water will be polluted. It is said that millions of Dollars are earned by exporting leather and leather goods. On the other hand, we might be losing 1000 times more worth fishes killed in Buriganga and other rivers. This is a grave problem which needs to be attended to immediately.

7.2

Plan to Import water from Jamuna River There is a plan to import water from the river Jamuna to increase the flow of water in the surrounding rivers in Dhaka City. The projected cost is Tk. 850 crore. In 2005, plan of  plantation by the riverside was taken by government. In 2004, Dhaka WASA undertook  the project of repairing 150km seepage line. In 2005, a project of modernizing & increasing the capacity of the Pagla Recycling Plant with sanction of 250km new seepage line was undertaken. Under the project of North Dhaka Expansion, project of sanction of  three new recycler plants with adequate sewerage line was undertaken.

Dhaka City

Corporation will implement the project of sanctioning 4 new “Garbage Dumping Yards” and the cost will be Tk. 510 crore. crore. As the tannery will be transferred at the northwest

26

part of Keraniganj, an integrated buffer of a khal and forest will be produced to protect the entire settlement and agricultural field.

7.3

Step taken by the previous caretaker government  The previous caretaker government took a step to arrest the ongoing process of not only killing the river, but also of destroying what still remains of this once lively river. The government formed a twenty-two member committee comprising representatives from Local Government Division, the Dhaka City Corporation, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha

(Rajuk),

Energy

And

Mineral

Resources

Division,

Petrobangla,

Environment ministry, Institute of Water Modelling, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, Federation of the Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ), the District Administration and the Joint Forces. The committee so formed worked to control the way the various industrial units and other sources are emptying their waste matters into the Buriganga as well as protect it from the land grabbers. Short- and long-term measures were taken to achieve the goals set by the committee. The two technical committees formed for this purpose detected all the sources that pollute the river and also review the past work done on this issue as well as look into the existing laws that could have been useful to go ahead with the task of the committee.

7.4

Concern expressed by our lawyers Our legal community has taken the initiative to persuade the High Court to issue a suo moto rule asking the government to inform the Court within a month about what steps have been taken to prevent environment pollution, as pointed out in the writ petition filed on July 15, 2001. One hopes that the judicial process will establish accountability and lead to some improvement.

7.5

Works by Awareness Groups Save Buriganga is an activist group whose mission is to create awareness among the

citizens of Dhaka city, Bangladesh about the dangers facing the Buriganga River. The group helps to create awareness by posting videos on Facebook.com and by sending emails to concerned individuals.

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“Save rivers, save Dhaka”, a joint initiative taken by Channel I and “The Daily Star”

seems to be promising. It also generates hope seeing that awareness groups have taken strong initiatives like “ Rally for Rivers Rivers” to change our miserable plight.

Figure: A boat procession was organized on August, 5th 2000 by the Save  Buriganga Movement Movement recently to protect the lifeline of the city from pollution and encroachment.

About 500 representatives from 65 organizations and institutions on August, 5th 2000 brought out a colorful boat procession on the Buriganga carrying car rying banners and shouting slogans for saving the river from pollution and encroachments. The procession was organized by the Save Buriganga Movement, launched recently following reports of  indiscriminate encroachments and pollution of the river. POROSH, an organization working for protection of the environment led the Movement. Their demand included immediate removal of the massive encroachment and removal of  the other encroachments nearby. Leaders of the movement including AMA Muhith of  POROSH, Prof. Mozaffar Ahmed and Dr.Wahiduddin Mahmud of Dhaka University who vowed to continue the fight till the river is freed from encroachments and pollution. Khushi Kabir of ADAB was also present. The organizations and Institutions which participated In the procession include ADAB, ARMCO & ANANDA, BASA, BAWPA, Dhaka University, Jagannath University College, NEAB, PRATYASHA, Nagorik Samaj, Rotary Club Dhaka, Mid town, SEED, WVA, DORP, Design Vision, FEMA and TMSS. Nirveek, an organization which works on environment, held a boat rally and formed a human chain on the bank of Shitalakhha at Hajiganj Ghat in Narayanganj in 9

th

May 2009

to press home its demand to save Buriganga and Shitalakhya river.Cross section of  people joined the human chain held at the west side of Shitalakhha River. 28

8.0

Recommendations

It is strongly recommended that heavy penalties be imposed not only on the guilty factory owners but also on the inspectors who have been recalcitrant in performing their duties. Here is an opportunity for the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission to demonstrate that they are agents of “change” and that they believe believe in good governance. The next step should be to re-locate the tanneries away from Dhaka. This might require two to three years but needs to be undertaken on a priority basis through public-private partnership and in a comprehensive manner. Most of the European Union (EU) counties are set to pass new policies that will bar import of products from industries that pollute environment with harmful chemical agents and do not have individual or central effluent plant. As such, the shifting should be completed as early as possible keeping in mind the impending EU legislation, or else it would hurt the export-oriented industry. The government contended that the construction work of the basic infrastructure and sewerage has already been completed. It is going to float a fresh tender soon for setting up the CETP. In any way, the relocation process has to be accelerated. All procedures to invite the fresh tender should be expedited. In order to save the industry from impending losses, the tannery owners should start the preliminary stages of shifting without further delay. The relevant officials in the Dhaka City Corporation responsible for solid waste management, sewerage, sanitation and hygiene are taken to task for their inefficiency. There is prevalence of corruption in this sector also. There have been many reports in the print media about lack of observance of rules and regulations by clinics in disposing of  their used articles. This is leading not only to contamination but also to the spread of  diseases. Such conditions are unwanted and should not be tolerated. The concerned departments of health, LGRD and the environment, in association with the Dhaka City Corporation, should undertake an integrated effort to identify the problem spots and then remove them. One measure could be to create an environmental police 29

force to monitor and assure effective implementation of regulations. The cost of creating and maintaining such an outfit could be met from the municipal tax paid to the Dhaka City Corporation and the sewerage tax paid to Wasa The effective but cheap purification approach based on chlorine gas, known as ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) operation, provides an opportunity for both the industry and DoE to perform in a win-win situation. Heavy penalties should be imposed on the guilty factory owners and the recalcitrant officials in the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), responsible for solid waste management, sewerage, sanitation and hygiene for their inefficiency and corruption. Illegal occupiers on both sides of the river should be evicted for good; the recovered and filled areas dug or dredged up and integrated in the river channel. All this should be done successively, even simultaneously where necessary, to avoid any let up in the process of  restoring full life and shape to the river. After restoring free flow, no structure of any kind other than terminal points for boats and launches should be allowed on either side of the river all along the stretch of the city and beyond. Both the banks should be secured and beatified with a tree-lined moderately wide road all along, if necessary further removing some structures falling in its path.

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