Bangladesh has lost more than 500 rivers in the last 500 years, according to the country's new land survey that said the total length of inland waterways has decreased from 24,140 km in 1971 to just 3,800 km during the lean season currently.
Among these, five rivers-Aati, Konai, Dolai, Pando, and Narai-no longer exist in Bangladesh's Map.
Bangladesh Water Development Board suggests that 931 rivers are currently flowing. Of these, 308 rivers have lost their navigability.
This breakdown includes 85 rivers in Dhaka division, 71 in Rangpur, 18 in Rajshahi, none in Barisal, 11 in Chittagong, 10 in Sylhet, 26 in Mymensingh, and 87 in Khulna.
The Bangladesh Environment Movement claims that due to a lack of water flow, one and a half rivers disappear each year. Over the past two decades, more than 300 rivers have dried up, and nearly 400 are now on the verge of extinction.
Among these are rivers like Betna, Shalikha, Shalita, Hamkura, Chuna, and Hatitan, which once had strong currents but have now dried up, allowing habitation in those areas.
This breakdown includes 85 rivers in Dhaka division, 71 in Rangpur, 18 in Rajshahi, none in Barisal, 11 in Chittagong, 10 in Sylhet, 26 in Mymensingh, and 87 in Khulna.
As of early 2024, 308 rivers were reported to have lost their navigability. Dozens of rivers are drying up gradually, and some have become entirely dead or moribund, according research compared the 1880-1940 land survey, officially known as the Cadastral Survey.
Due to the absence of a finalized water-sharing agreement for the Teesta, rivers in northern Bangladesh are now facing severe water shortages.
Not only the Teesta but also rivers like the Dharla, Dudhkumar, Koratoa, Ghatak, Barak, and Brahmaputra are suffering from critical water shortages, going to die shortly.
Dr Tuhin Wadud, a river and environment activist, researcher, and professor and dean of the Bangla Department at Begum Rokeya University, stated that there are over 250 rivers in the northern region, with 200 of them, including the Teesta, being critically endangered.
Not only rivers, canals of Dhaka city has lost a combined length of 120km or 307 hectares of canals, due to encroachment, unplanned urbanisation and lack of maintenance by the authorities in the last 80 years.
A study by River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC) found that 95 canals have been completely lost or their lengths have been less than halved.
Mapping Changes says Dhaka has 206km of watercourse, down from 326km mentioned in the Cadastral Survey.
According to the 1880-1940 survey, there were 54 major canals, 111 narrow canals, the old channel of the Buriganga, and nine lakes.
Currently, there are 77 major canals, 31 narrow streams and several lakes in the two city corporations. Successive governments excavated 10 major canals and four new lakes in the city over the decades.
As the Cadastral Survey was conducted in the lean seasons it did not include the foreshore and wetlands.
Despite this, Hazaribagh Khal, Katasur Khal, Ramchandrapur Khal, Amaiya Khal, Atir Khal, Bailjuri Khal, Bhaturia Khal, Dhalpur Khal, Dholai Khal, Gobindapur Khal, Gopibagh Khal, Haikkar Khal, Lawtola Khal, Nasirabad-Nandi Para Khal, Rampura Khal and Rayerbazar Khal have each lost around 2 hectares of land.
Begunbari Khal, Ramchandrapur Khal, Dholai Khal and Rampura Khal each are now shorter by over 3 km.
The Buriganga's old channel, currently 4.32km, lost 2.46 km of its length. Abdullahpur and Katasur canals were connected to the Konai river while Hatirjheel Lake, Begunbari, Rampura and Norai canals were part of the Norai river.
The Dholai river is now a canal known in different areas as Nasirabad, Nandipara, and Dakhsingaon while the Atir river is now the Atir canal due to severe pollution and encroachment, the study says.
According to a report of the taskforce consisting of the National River Conservation Commission, Dhaka District Administration, WASA, Department of Environment, and BIWTA, there are no specific authority for the maintenance of 12 canals.
The National River Protection Commission has released a list of 39,558 river encroachers, but only a few limited operations have been carried out by previous governments.
