Trishal Municipality: Waste dumping pollutes Sutia river

Indiscriminate dumping of household waste materials beside the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Trishal upazila has become a nuisance for local residence, thanks to the indifference of the authorities concerned.

Local people alleged that though they have protested the hazardous act, which has been continuing for the last 10 years or so, no necessary step has been taken in this regard yet.

They said the municipal authorities collect the household garbage every day and dumped those on the bank of the Sutia river near Naudhar area.

The mindless dumping of waste materials along the river bank is not only polluting the water of the adjacent river it is also posing threat to local environment.

Though the garbage is being piled-up at different spots along the river bank for years, the municipality authorities are seemed reluctant to check the menace.

Like Sutia river, a few other rivers including Khiru, Banar and Pagalia also flow through the upazila town and fall into the Old Brahmaputra river, they further said.

Alongside land grabbing issues, Sutia is also facing serious pollution due to the unplanned waste dumping beside the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, Ariful Islam of Naudhar area said.

Such irresponsible act by the municipality authorities not only creates nuisance, but also poses serious health threats to thousands of people traveling to and from Dhaka, he added.

While talking to this correspondent a number of local residents said the small rivers like Sutia Khiru, Banar and Pagalia are considered as the lifeline of agriculture and ecological balance of the nearby locality, but the four rivers are being left neglected for years.

Once these rivers were great sources for irrigation water and considered as safe habitats for local fish varieties, but now those have become narrow fountains, covered with water hyacinth, they lamented.

Local businessman Abu Musa said during the monsoon the pile of garbage is washed away by the rain water into the river.

Advocate Nazrul Islam Chunnu, convener of Jonoudyog Mymensingh, a citizens' forum, said the authorities concerned cannot ignore the consequences of the environment, ecology and health hazards.

Established in 1998, the municipality, covering 15.49 square kilometres area, with around 40,000 dwellers could not manage a designated waste dumping ground in the last 25 years.

Azharul Islam, a councillor at Trishal Municipality, said workers engaged by the municipality collect around 10 tonnes of garbage every day and dumped those on the bank of the Sutia river beside the highway as there is no designated dumping spot.

Admitting the act, the councillor said as there is no dustbin or any designated garbage dumping spot in the town, the municipality authorities have been disposing the waste materials on the river bank for the last few years.

Trishal Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Juwel Ahmed said they have taken initiatives to stop the environment pollution and grabbing of river land at any cost.