Siltation, pollution and illegal occupation killing Surma River
In 2019, the Water Development Board identified 111 occupiers occupying 3.6 km area of Surma River in Sylhet city
At first sight, the Surma River in Sylhet city would look like a drain with a narrow knee-deep waterline filled with wastes everywhere. This is what pollution, illegal occupation and siltation have done to the 249 km river that once was the lifeline for the people living in a vast area.
The situation is so dire that the river, which entered the country from the Barak River in India through the Zakiganj border of Sylhet and flows through Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj, remains almost waterless for around eight months of the year.
Around 200 wide chars have appeared in the river from Zakiganj to Sylhet and most of the river dries up during the dry season. As a result, it turns into a playground for children. People also cultivate vegetables on the chars in the areas like South Surma, Gopalganj, Kanaighat, and Tukerbazar.
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As per Sylhet Water Development Board sources, 111 occupiers have built more than 200 illegal installations occupying the bank of the river. However, the number is far bigger according to environmental activists.
Although the authorities conducted an operation to evict these occupants in December 2019, that was stopped after a few days.
The 10 km area of the city from Kushighat to Tukerbazar beside the river is the most polluted as wastes from homes and factories are dumped into the river indiscriminately.
The water in the river along the area is covered with piles of garbage. Sewage pipes of many toilets from the marketplaces and slum areas have made the situation worse.
Similarly, rotten vegetables could be seen floating on the river beside the wholesale market in the Kalighat area of the city.
Abul Hossain, a cleaning worker in the area, said that all the garbage from the Kalighat area is dumped directly into the river.
"Five times more garbage is dumped in the river than the garbage collected by the vehicles of the city corporation. The water of the river has become so polluted that it causes itching when touched with bare hands," he said.
According to people concerned, a lack of waste management and adequate drainage system in the city is behind the dire situation of Surma. They also blamed the lack of awareness of the city dwellers on how to manage their wastes.
Emran Hossain, director of the Department of Environment, Sylhet, said, "There are flaws in the management of the city corporation. If they took proper measures, it would be possible to save the river from pollution. But they are not doing that. If they take action, we will help them."
NurAzizur Rahman, chief engineer, of Sylhet City Corporation, said, "We have tried a lot but people's habits are not changing. First of all, we have to change our habits. We have to be aware of environmental pollution. It is possible to protect our river only if we are aware."
Regarding the statement of the Department of Environment, he said, "It is their responsibility. They can take action in this regard."
Advocate Shah Shaheda of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) said, "Rivers, canals and ponds cannot be filled and polluted under the Environmental Protection Act of 1995. Similarly, the Water Rights Act of 2013 also states that water drainage cannot be obstructed or polluted."
She said, "We are collecting information on various issues including river water pollution by dumping garbage from different areas of Sylhet City Corporation. Once this information is collected, legal action will be taken by Bela."
Eviction campaign stopped
In 2019, the Water Development Board identified 111 occupiers occupying a 3.6 km area of Surma River in Sylhet city as per the instructions of the Prime Minister.
As per the Water Development Board report, these occupiers occupied the banks of the river and built various illegal establishments including shops and warehouses.
On 23 December 2019, an eviction campaign was conducted to evict the illegal establishments in several upazilas including Sylhet city. However, the campaign was halted after a month. Many illegal establishments have been rebuilt by the river after that.
Muhammad Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, executive engineer of Water Development Board, Sylhet, said that there is no doubt that the number of actual occupants is more than the list created by our officials.
He said, "The eviction campaign has not stopped as it is a continuous process. We have noticed that some places have been reoccupied. They will be evicted again at any time."
Abdul Karim Kim, a member of the International Alliance for River Protection, said, "Surma is now a dying river due to continued occupation and pollution. Such a situation has arisen due to a lack of effective measures to prevent pollution and encroachment of the river."
No excavation effort
People in Sylhet have been demanding the excavation of Surma for years. However, no initiative has been taken to excavate the river so far despite conducting a survey several years ago.
According to people concerned, some 35 chars have appeared in the 32 km area at the source of the river. However, authorities in the country have not been able to take any decision on excavating in this area as the river is flowing through two countries.
As per the Sylhet Water Development Board sources, a proposal was sent to the ministry in 2012 for the excavation of Surma. Although a survey was conducted after that no initiative was taken to excavate the river.
In 2017, another survey was conducted for the excavation of the Surmariver again. However, the report of the survey has not been prepared yet.
Muhammad Shahiduzzaman Sarkar said that initiatives would be taken to excavate the Surma River soon.
However, he mentioned the need to excavate in the source area of the river first.
"Around 5% to 10% of the water from the Barak River in India enters Surma during the monsoon. But no water enters the river during the other seasons as almost all the water flows to the Kushiara River. As a result, Surma remains almost waterless for about eight months of the year," he said.
