The Khowai gasps for life

The Khowai river, once a vibrant waterbody flowing through the heart of Habiganj town, is now choked by indiscriminate dumping of waste and relentless encroachment on both banks.

Over the years, the river has been turned into a dumping site for household, commercial and clinical waste, particularly at the Kibria Bridge point. With no dedicated dumping ground, the municipality disposed of garbage collected from across the area by discarding it in the river.

Although the municipality stopped using the river for waste disposal three years ago, many locals continue to dump garbage along its banks. Meanwhile, influential groups have encroached on the river's land by building structures on both banks.

Even slight rainfall now submerges parts of the town due to the damaged embankments and clogged drainage system.

"The river once supported my livelihood. Now it is almost dead due to pollution and illegal grabbing. The stench is unbearable. The ghat is now abandoned and piled up with garbage. There is no fish in the river anymore," said Rafiq Ahmed, a local fisherman.

Latif Mia, who lives near Kibria Bridge, echoed him.

Sharif Jamil, central member secretary of environmental group Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA), said, "Before any restoration effort, encroachment must be stopped, and waterlogging must be addressed."

Experts stressed the need for a comprehensive plan.

Since there is no Cadastral Survey data available for Habiganj, they called for a scientific and transparent survey to demarcate the river's original boundaries, with local environmentalists and community leaders involved in the process.

Professor Dr Mohammad Zahirul Haque, vice-chancellor of Sylhet Metropolitan University, said the name "Khowai" originated from the Tripura language as a combination of two words -- "Kho" (up) and "Yai" (stream) -- meaning "a stream of water coming down from above".

Photos: STAR

The Khowai is a transboundary river originating from the Atharmura hills of India's Tripura state and entering Bangladesh through the Bangladesh-India border before merging with the Meghna. The river stretches 94 kilometres in Bangladesh with an average width of 106 metres.

It is not only the main river of Habiganj but also the third largest in Tripura.

The Khowai, if restored, could help address many of the city's infrastructural problems, including drainage and waterlogging, he added.

Tofazzal Sohel, waterkeeper of the Khowai river, called for efforts to restore the river and transform its banks into community space.

Contacted, Sayedur Rahman, executive engineer of the Water Development Board in Habiganj, said a tender has been invited for a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the river's current state and identify interventions needed to restore and protect it.

Authorities hope the findings will provide the foundation for a long-term, sustainable river management and conservation plan, he added.