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Dwellers of 15 villages suffer as water hyacinth blankets Ichamati River

Published : Sunday, 17 April, 2022 at 12:00 AM  Count : 695
Jalal Uddin
A view of the Ichamati River filled with water hyacinth. photo: observer

A view of the Ichamati River filled with water hyacinth. photo: observer

SANTHIA, PABNA, Apr 16: Water hyacinth has blanketed the Ichamati River almost fully in Santhia Upazila of the district. It has caused an immense suffering in the locality.
During the  previous years, Water Development Board (WDB) spent lakhs of Taka for removing weeds. But it did not happen this time.
The river has become water stranded again with hyacinth this year. Dwellers of over 15 villages including Karamja, Talat, Sharisha, Sonatala, Putipara, Amoush, Purat, Doulotpur, Nandanpur, Khanmahmudpur, Dhopadaha, Naari Agdai, Haludghor, Gopalpur, Dhulauri, and Bhulbaria are suffering. Locals said, the entire river of about 42 kilometres has been covered with the weeds.
Now the water hyacinth has begun to rot. Foul smell is spreading around from its water.  Different water-borne diseases are feared by locals. The river water is being used in bath taking, cooking and other household works.
Though their suffering is mounting up, none is coming forward to their help in this regard.
According to sources, the 42 km stretch of the river ranging from the WDB's Berah Pump House to Madhabpur Point via Santhia had been turned into main irrigation canal under the Pabna Irrigation and Rural Development Project in 1990. Later on, numerous people on both banks of the river started using its water in irrigation and household works. But due to dense growth of water hyacinth, its water cannot be used like before. The mouth of the sluicegate drain has been blocked due to stranded water hyacinth. The sluicegate is not working.
Locals apprehended, children are most likely to get affected by many diseases for taking bath in the polluted water of the river. They are also in fear of mosquito menance. It is not possible to sit for five minutes even along the river bank because of mosquito biting. Already different diseases are spreading from the river affecting children and people of different ages. Local lives are getting vitiated.
It is up to the WDB to look after the Ichamati River under the irrigation project. But by leasing it to fish farmers, the district administration is realising revenue from the leasee.
According to the WDB policy, it is compulsory to remove all floating and swamp weeds of the river. During last years, the WDB removed all weeds of the river spending huge amount of money. But water hyacinth remained as usual. Now a tug of war is going on who will remove the weed, the WDB or the disatrict administration?
While talking with this correspondent of The Daily Observer, a number of Santhia Municipality dwellers including Imran Hossain Janu of Doulatpur Village, Rejaul Karim of Talat Village, and Ibrahim, Roki, Halim, Mahidul,  Baten, and Alim who came to take bath at Santhia Bazar Ghat said,  cooking and household works would be done using water of the Ichamati River; but its water has been of foul-smelling; mosquito menance and disease spreading  have increased. If water hycinth would be removed properly, suffereing of villagers would not be so high, they added.
Santhia Upazila Chairman Abdullah Al Mahmud Delwar said, "Few years back water hyacinth was removed after allocating some money from the WDB through our local MP. But the river got filled again, causing immense public suffering."
"I will raise the issue at the district coordination meeting for taking necessary measures in this regard," he added.
Santhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Jamal Ahmed said, though the river has been leased by the district administration, it is the responsibility of the WDB to look after the irrigation canal; and WDB can remove water hyacinth in cooperation with the distrct administration.
"Because of water hyacinth, public suffering has created. But we can't remove it as we don't have allocation from any department. We have talked about the issue at our coordination meeting. All gave opinion about removing. As the probem is   big, it needs coordinated effort. It is not possible by any single person or institution to resove it alone," the UNO maintained.
Santhia Municipaity Mayor Mahbubul Alam Bachchu said, it is up to the WDB to remove the water hyacinth.
Not only municipality dwellers, but all people in other areas are suffering because of the weed, he added.
"There is no such fund. If it is, we will take measure. I will raise the issue at upazila coordination meeting, asking the authorities for taking necessary measaures," he maintained.
Medical Officer of Santhia Upazila Health Complex Dr. Abdullah Al-Mamun said, if the river water is polluted due to rotting of water hyacinth, then water-borne diseases like dysentery, diarrhoea, nousea, jaundice, and skin disease are likely to affect people; and due to increasing mosquito mennce and fly, dengue, tipoid and blac fever are likely to spread; and water poisonous contagiuous diseases can appear.
Executive Engineer of WDB-Berah Sudhangshu Kumar Sarkar said, after leasing the main irrigation canal (Ichamati), revenue is realized by the district administration. So it is the responsibility of them to remove water hyacinth. Our responsibility is to maintain dyke and see whether water is flowing properly. The water flow is not halted so badly. It may require Tk 4.49 crore to remove water hyacinth this year. We approached to the WDB-Bangladesh for financial allocation. But we could not start removing the weed, for not getting money. If got, it will be removed."
He further said, under social obligation, the municipality, Upazila Parishad, and local administration should remove the water hyacinth.





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