Halda River pollution causes concern in Ctg

The discharge of industrial effluents into the Halda River is causing depletion of fish stocks. Halda River is vitally important because it is the only place in the country where naturally-laid carp eggs can be gathered for hatching.

Unfortunately, DoE's probe has found that a number of industries are directly responsible for polluting the river. no effective steps have been taken to take the polluters to task. With some 18 canals connected to the Halda River, the pollution has spread and despite being armed with detailed laboratory tests.

Halda River is a river in south-eastern Bangladesh. It originates at the Badnatali Hill Ranges in Ramgarh Upazila in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, flows through Fatikchhari Upazila, Bhujpur Thana, Hathazari Upazila, Raozan Upazila and Chandgaon Thana of the Chattogram Metropolitan City, and falls into the Karnaphuli River.

The 81-kilometre  long river has a very turbulent tributary, the Dhurung River, which joins Purba Dhalai about 48 kilometres  downstream. The river is navigable by big boats 29 km into it  and by small boats 16-24 km further. The Halda reaches up 21 feet in depth and 30 feet  in deepest point. The Halda river is also famous for breeding pure Indian carp. This is the only pure Indian carp breeding field of Bangladesh, perhaps in South Asia.

Although many industries in the area have claimed that they use effluent treatment plant (ETP), there are some industries that are not using them. There are various types of activity going along the banks of the river ranging from housing estates to tannery, paper mill, power plant, etc. and it is the job of authorities to protect both the river and fisher folk communities that depend on the river for their livelihoods.

In a country where there is no dearth of legislation but where the implementing agencies remain weak and ineffective, The Chattogram Development Authority has stated it will act once the final report is published. 

As its water has got extremely polluted which led to the death of various species of fish, the Halda River Protection Committee has put forward an 11-point recommendation to save the River Halda, the largest fish spawning ground in the country. Committee president Manzoorul Kibria, also a professor of Chittagong University's zoology department, came up with the recommendations at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club .

The suggestions include making it mandatory to install and use effluent treatment plants in all industries, including Hathazari Peaking Power Plant and Asian Paper Mills, from Oxygen to Kulgaon to treat industrial waste, permanently stopping dumping of waste into the Mora Chora canal at Nandirat, taking effective measures to check pollution by poultry farms set up haphazardly, re-excavating Bamonshahi canal which was grabbed in Ananya Residential

Area to take it to its earlier form, disconnecting master drainage system of the residential area from the Bamonshahi and Kuraish canals, setting up STPs for the garbage management of the residential area, ensuring uninterrupted water flow digging small canals in Shikarpur and Madarsha areas, declaring Halda as an 'ecologically critical area (ECA)', constituting a Halda River Commission for coordination in the river management and announcing the Halda as the national river.

Various species of fish such as Ruhi, Katal, Ayeer and shrimp have died over the last few days. Local people found them floating in a 15-km stretch of the river on June 21-22.

A team of experts from Chittagong University and the local Met office collected samples of water from 11 points of the river on June 21-25 and they found it to be extremely polluted after tests. The press conference was told that 18 species of fish and two species of shrimp have died due to the water pollution.

In a written speech, Prof Manzoorul Kibria said fish died due to low level of oxygen and excessive ammonia. He said on average, one litre of water contains 0.05mg of oxygen, but Halda water currently contains less than 0.02mg of oxygen, which is not suitable for aquatic animals to survive in the river.

Describing the pollution as an ominous sign, the Halda researcher said the river will face dire consequences in the future if steps are not taken to check it.