Buriganga River Explained

Buriganga River
Map:BD Map Central Bangladesh.jpg
Subdivision Type1:Country
Subdivision Name1:Bangladesh
Subdivision Type5:City
Subdivision Name5:Dhaka
Length:18km (11miles)[1]
Source1:Dhaleshwari River
Source1 Location:near Kalatia
Mouth:Dhaleshwari River
Mouth Location:about 30NaN0 southwest of Fatullah

The Buriganga (bn|বুড়িগঙ্গা, Buŗigônga,) is a river in Bangladesh which flows past the southwest outskirts of the capital city, Dhaka. It ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country.[2] [3]

Importance

The Buriganga is economically very important to Dhaka. Launches and country boats provide connection to other parts of Bangladesh, a largely riverine country.

Pollution

In the 20th century the water table and river became polluted by polyethene waste and other hazardous substances from demolished buildings near the river banks.

The Buriganga river now ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country. The chemical waste of mills and factories, household waste, medical waste, sewage, dead animals, plastics, and oil are some of the Buriganga's many pollutants. The city of Dhaka discharges about 4,500 tons of solid waste every day, and most of it is released into the Buriganga. According to the Bangladesh Department of Environment, 21600m2 of toxic waste are released into the river by the tanneries every day.[4] [5] [6] Experts identified nine industrial areas in and around the capital city as the primary sources of river pollution: Tongi, Tejgaon, Hazaribagh, Tarabo, Narayanganj, Savar, Gazipur, Dhaka Export Processing Zone and Ghorashal. Most of the industrial units of these areas have no industrial wastewater treatment plants of their own.

According to the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), about 12000m2 of untreated wastewater are released into the lake from Tejgaon, Badda and Mohakhali industrial areas every day. The wastewater mostly comes from garment washing and dyeing plants. Textile industries annually discharge as much as 56 million tonnes of waste and 0.5 million tonnes of sludge. Sewage is also released into the Buriganga.

Because of Dhaka's heavy reliance on river transport for goods, including food, the Buriganga receives especially high amounts of food waste since unusable or rotting portions of fruits, vegetables, and fish are thrown into the river.

History

According to R. C. Majumdar, in the distant past, a course of the Ganges river probably used to reach the Bay of Bengal through the Dhaleshwari River. The Buriganga originated from the Dhaleshwari in the south of Savar, near Dhaka [7]

When the Mughals made Dhaka their capital in 1610, the banks of the Buriganga were already a prime location for trade. The river was also the city's main source of drinking water.

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Burigunga River . Burigunga Riverkeeper . 13 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130828075717/http://burigangariverkeeper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=69 . 28 August 2013 . dead.
  2. News: Majumder . Azad . Bangladesh river pollution threatens millions . Reuters . 19 May 2009 . 9 January 2020.
  3. News: The river runs black: pollution from Bangladesh's tanneries – in pictures . the Guardian . 23 October 2015 . 9 January 2020.
  4. 25 October 2002 . Pollution control and tannery relocation . Leather International . Global Trade Media . 22 February 2017.
  5. Web site: Toxic Tanneries: The Health Repercussions of Bangladesh's Hazaribagh Leather . 8 October 2012 . Human Rights Watch . 22 February 2017.
  6. News: Aulakh . Raveena . 12 October 2013 . Bangladesh's tanneries make the sweatshops look good . Toronto Star . 22 February 2017.
  7. Book: Majumdar, R. C. . R. C. Majumdar . History of Ancient Bengal . G. Bhardwaj & Co. . 1971 . Calcutta . 3 . 961157849. .