Encroachment, pollution threaten existence of Karnaphuli

BSS, Chittagong :
Massive pollution coupled with unabated encroachment for long has posed a serious threat to the very existence of the river Karnaphuli and survival of its aquatic lives apart from making harmful effects on human health.
Encroachment spree unleashed by the influential grabber-axis has resulted in narrowing down substantially the original size of the river that is being viewed as a major threat for the existence of the country’s main seaport.
Environmentalists, urban planners and conscious citizens have expressed their grave concern and resentment as no effective measures are being taken by the authorities concerned to stop pollution and illegal grabbing of the river by powerful quarters.
They demanded of the government to launch drastic and sustainable drive to ensure permanent end to the illegal grabbing, recover the already captured river areas and stop the extent of pollution cautioning that a risk to the life of the Karnaphuli river ultimately threatens the very existence and operation of the Chittagong port, planned expansion of the country’s second city and foreign investment.
They commented that once a turbulent fast flowing river, the Karnaphuli is facing a fate similar to that of Buriganga’s-what with unending pollution caused by mindless dumping of wastes from factories and ever-increasing human settlements along its course. Untreated waste of two power plants and the Karnaphuli Paper Mill at Kaptai, daily household wastes and sewage continue to flow into the river through different canals, they added.
Terming the river as main vein of country’s economic lifeline, Engineer Delowar Hossain Majumdar, former Chairman, Chittagong chapter of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh said Chittagong port will not exist if the river dies and impact of non-existence of the prime seaport to the economy will be simply far-reaching.
“So planned short and long term steps are urgently needed to save such a natural resource of the country”, said Mozumdar who is also Co-chairman of local chapter of Bangladesh Conscious Citizen Committee. He also said unplanned short term capital dredging complicates the problems adding he said it needs long term specific action for arresting pollution and stopping illegal grabbing.
Meanwhile, a number of studies on the extent of pollution of Karnaphuli river indicate that the river has already reached a dangerous state in terms of all parameters for a healthy river that include existence of total solid in the water, level of alkalinity, salinity and turbidity of water, availability of Dissolved Oxygen, Bio-Chemical Oxygen, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Electric Conductivity and Hydrogen Lon Concentration.
“Apart from losing continuously its original size following uncontrolled grabbing of river banks and water areas , massive pollution for a long time, reached such an extent that the life of the river is now at stake and its total ecosystem is already at a total risk”, Prof. Idris Ali of Chemistry Department of Govt. Haji Mohammad Mohsin College who conducted a number studies from different dimension on pollution and grabbing of the river told BSS.
He claimed that 90 percent industries have not completed and operated the ETP on both sides of the Karnaphuli river bank and owners of a few industries who already claimed setting up of ETP is also not running every day.
Spillage of huge amount of solid and effluent toxic objects from industries located on both sides of the river banks, human excreta from around 1.5 lakh sanitary and open latrines from slum houses, blood-mixed water from around 600 permanent and temporary slaughter centers, earth and mud of river erosion, hill cutting carried through 32-35 canals and drains, waste and toxic oily objects were dumped by local and foreign ships and huge amount of pesticides and insecticides from agriculture lands close to both sides of rivers in Hathazari, Rangunia, Boalkhali, Patiya and Anowar upazilas are major causes of pollution of the Karnaphuli river.
Prof. Idris said Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) could only collect 700-800 out of 2500 metric tones of solid waste per day and Karnaphuli river is the ultimate destination of rest of the uncollected wastes.
The study shows that the turbidity of water has been decreasing gradually, level of alkalinity and salinity were also rising alarmingly that poses even a threat to the bio- diversity of Halda River, the river in Asia where migrated brood fishes of some indigenous species spawns in a particular time of the year.
It was found in the studies that apart from extinction of some locally popular fish species from the river, the whitish stones and green grasses on both the banks of the river turned black due to existence of heavy toxic oily substances released by ships. As many as 76 varieties of fish were available in the river Karnaphuli, according to a research conducted by a professor of the Institute of Marine Science at Chittagong University in 1976.
But the Directorate of Environment (DoE) says now only 20 varieties of sweet water fish and 10 varieties of mixed water fish are available in the river.
Hundreds of metric tones of dangerous effluents from around 800 different types of industries particularly 3 tanneries , 15 leather godowns, 2 chemical factories, 7 fish processing factories, 2 soap factories, one steel mill ,2 paper mills, one beverage producing unit, 5 textile and dying factories, 2 giant fertilizer manufacturing enterprises and one cement factory are rolling-up to the river water as most of them, either do not have Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) or kept inoperative the ETP technology in a bid to make more profit.
DoE, Chittagong Director Jafar Alam claimed nearly 200 small and big industries have set up ETP and the DoE has served notices to over 100 different types of industrial enterprises asking them to inform the department in writing on what measures including setting up of ETP they have taken yet to treatment the waste released from their factories.
“One of the objective of such measures is to save the river Karnaphuli from serious pollution and stern legal actions would be taken against those who fail to comply with the environment regulations including setting up of ETP at their respective factory premises”, Jafar told BSS.
He alleged that Chittagong Port Authority as a major custodian of preserving the river itself contributing to the river pollution by not taking appropriate steps against pollution side by side with the authority’s failure in freeing the river from illegal grabbing.
Prof. Idris in his study found that around 1000 metric tones of effluent released from multi- national fertilizer factory – Karnaphuli Fertilizer Factory Ltd (KAFCO), state- owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory Ltd (CUFL), Karnaphuli Paper Mills (KPM) and newly set up privately owned Hakkani Paper Mills Ltd are spilled into the Karnaphuli river every day.
The study shows that rate of Dissolved Oxygen -an important factor for survival of aquatic birds at Shah Amanat Bridge point was 4.1 to 2.95 milligram in per liter water against the required standard level of 4.5 to 8 milligram while Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand was 31.83 to 23.7 milligram which is far less than the required standard level. Conductivity (EC) and Hydrogen Lon Concentration (PH) has risen to an alarming state which is posing a threat to the existence and survival of aquatic lives in the river.
The salinity level rose to 225 to 300 milligram per liter of water, the EC to 750 from 350 micro-simles per centimeter while PH to 8-9.
Apart from creating health hazards to human body for using the contaminated water through multiple use, such pollution caused extinction and gradual depletion of a good number of locally popular fish species that will ultimately lead to total disappearance of indigenous fishes from the river in near future if current pace of pollution continues, Prof.Idris observed.