Rivers must be saved from encroachers, polluters

Dhaka rivers must be protected. Why only Dhaka rivers? All the rivers of Bangladesh should be protected if we want to save the country, and its people and to offset the effects of climate change properly.

We need to move away from the idea of spending thousands of crores of taka to protect rivers now. On one hand, we will not take punitive measures against river polluters and encroachers, and on the other, we will spend thousands of crores of public money to save rivers. This is not acceptable in any way.

We know that for now, we have to make some investments in restoring the rivers. But the restoration work and the encroachment and pollution cannot occur simultaneously. We have to do prevention as well as cure.

If money is poured only into cure, not into prevention, then I think there will be a severe lack of accountability. Strict action should be taken against those industries and processes polluting the rivers. Rivers should be freed from encroachment and pollution at the lowest possible cost.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan is an environmentalist and lawyer.