A river buried in sand
Stretching alongside the green valleys of the Khashia-Jaintia hills, a vast expanse of sand stands as a silent testament to the tragedy that has befallen the Piyain River.
The river, which once flowed through Sylhet's Gowainghat upazila and served as a vital source of life for many people, has now been reduced to a mere memory.
Over the past 35 years, the Piyain River has gradually been buried under a thick layer of sand, leaving no trace of its once-powerful currents.
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Local people say that natural causes, such as floods and landslides along with manmade ones, notably unplanned stone quarrying have pushed the Piyain River to its demise.
The river originates from the Umngot River in Meghalaya, India, and enters Bangladesh through the Jaflong area of Gowainghat, getting divided into two parts.
If stone quarrying activities are not stopped, the neighbouring Dauki River will also disappear within a few years, say the local people.
According to them, rainwater earlier flowing down from the hills used to drain through the river channel during the monsoon. But now as the river has died out, the water overflows into the surrounding areas, causing water logging and land erosion.
Joseph Tangchong, a resident of Sangrampunji in Gowainghat, said that once large ships used to ply through the Piyain River.
"But the devastating floods of the 1980s, unplanned quarrying of stones and illegal extraction of sand killed the river gradually," he said.
Lutfar Rahman Lebu, chairman of No-3 East Jaflong union parishad, told The Business Standard, "When it rains in the mountains, the water comes down here. But the water cannot flow through the river anymore and overflows the surrounding area."
"As a result, people in my union suffer from water logging during the rainy season. The tea estates in Jaflong are also having problems due to this," he added.
Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of the Sylhet Paribesh Andolan, said that the death of the Piyain River has been causing severe damage to the environment.
"Tourist centres in Jaflong are losing their attraction to people. The river should be excavated soon by adopting a plan in a scientific manner," he said.
According to Gowainghat upazila administration sources, the source of this river was blocked by the silts and sand coming down from the Khasia-Jaintia hills during the devastating floods and landslides in 1988.
At the time, about four kilometres of the river were filled. Since then, the river remains completely dry during the dry season.
Officials at the Bangladesh Water Development Board said that the river cannot be excavated as it is a transboundary river between two countries. For excavation work, it needs a consensus between the countries concerned.
In May 2019, the chairman of the National River Conservation Commission visited the river and held out the assurance of taking quick measures to excavate it. However, till now no initiative has been taken in this regard.
Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, Sylhet office, said, "India's consent is required to excavate the river. Discussions are going on at the highest level of the government for this purpose."
