Kendua (Netrokona) Correspondent :
The canals and rivers of Kendua are dying due to navigability crisis, encroachment and pollution. Unplanned dam and bridge construction are also responsible for the death. As a result, the canals of the agriculturally important Kendua Upazila, the agricultural work and business dependent on the rivers are in a crisis of existence. There has been extreme anger and frustration among the public. According to government data, there are 4 rivers and 13 canals in Kendua.
It can be seen on the ground – due to lack of renovation, the banks of canals and rivers have collapsed. Due to lack of dredging, most of the canals and rivers have been filled with silt. Construction and facilities are being used in encroachment. Pollution is a disaster for the environment. Dry skeletons. Rivers and rivers have turned into dead canals.
There are no signs of the canals. These watercourses that were once the source of flow are disappearing from the map of Kendua. Paddy and vegetables are being cultivated on the riverbed. People are crossing the river on foot. Cows are eating grass. Children are playing various games. However, there was a time when the riverbed was full of water all year round. People on the banks of the canals and rivers could not sleep properly due to the sound of the current. A lot of fish could be found. The main means of livelihood of fishermen were canals and rivers.
Farmers used to grow a lot of crops at low cost through irrigation. There were markets on the banks of the river. Small and big boats, launches, ships used to ply. There was a lot of business and trade on the waterways. Now these scenes are no longer seen. Many fishermen have changed their professions. Again, many fishermen, even though they have retained their fathers’ profession, are making a living by combining other professions.
Farmers are spending a lot and doing agriculture through alternative means. No markets, no trade and commerce. Watercraft are not seen. And the navigability crisis, encroachment, pollution and unplanned construction of dams and bridges are responsible for all this. Every canal and river, once a mighty river in Kendua, is fighting death. Today, it has truly been proven that Rabindranath Tagore wrote at the end of the nineteenth century – **Our small river flows in bends, in the month of Baishakh it is knee-deep in water. Cows cross it, cars cross it, high wires on both sides, sloping wires cross it.**
In this regard, Netrokona Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md. Shakhawat Hossain said, “The review is underway. Necessary measures will be taken on priority basis after the review.”
Kendua Upazila Executive Officer Imdadul Haque Talukder said, “The Water Development Board has been informed about the canals and rivers of Kendua. Hopefully, something good will happen as soon as possible.”
