New Nation| 14 March 2023

Annually the International Day of Action for Rivers is observed in 14th March in each year. Sadly, day by day these rivers are getting polluted by our many actions. Consequently, these rivers are losing more of its life.
At present days the significant environmental problem is plastic pollution in aquatic habitats, which can have a severe influence on ecology, put aquatic species in danger, and create economic loss. Riverine ecosystems are directly impacted by plastic pollution, despite the fact that rivers are recognized to play a significant part in the transportation of land-based plastic garbage to the world’s oceans. Bangladesh uses 87 thousand tons of single-use polyethylene plastic annually. Plastic straws, cotton swabs, food packaging, food containers, bottles, plates, plastic spoons, plastic bags, pastes, shampoo packets, etc. are examples of single-use plastics used in the country.
These plastics end up in agricultural fields, water drainage systems, rivers, canals, and seas as a result of excessive use and poor waste management, seriously harming these ecosystems. The Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS) began studying the physiochemical status of the Buriganga River and discovered that its Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is extremely high but its Dissolve Oxygen (DO) is extremely low which shows that the water body’s aquatic environment is very unfriendly to its living creatures.
Every day, polythene and plastic waste is accumulating in the river through various drains and canals of the city. Again, various types of waste are being thrown on the river bank; these wastes are with water and polluting the river. One-time plastic or single-use small plastics are accelerating the pollution of rivers. The use of one-time plastic products is increasing day by day. Polythene and plastic are being excessively used in the present reality. These plastics and polythene are thrown away after being used once. The polythene-plastic is falling into the river through canals, and the plastic is falling into the sea through the rivers. Many river and sea species are dying by consume tiny plastic and polythene waste as food! These tiny particles of plastic get mixed with sea water, which subsequently causes harm to aquatic species.  Due to polythene pollution, fish are not available in the river as before and many rivers, the oxygen content has drastically reduced, making it difficult for other biodiversity, including fish, to survive.
The silting up of the Surma river because to plastic is one of the causes of the recent catastrophic floods in Sylhet. All trans-boundary rivers have experienced collapses due to the North-East India’s heavy rains. With this flood came thousands of tonnes of silt and sand. 26 tiny and large mountain ridges (natural canals) and water channels running through Sylhet city carry daily 100 tonnes of polythene and plastic trash into the Surma River. The Surma River’s bottom has been filled with it. The Surma River has overflowed as the bottom fills up, causing water to reach the city. 13 Sylhet upazilas as well as a number of Sunamganj upazilas have also been affected by the flooding, in addition to Sylhet city. The only explanation for this is the recent filling of all the rivers, including Surma, Kushiara, and the two major rivers of Sylhet. The country’s metropolitan rivers and streams, notably the capital city of Dhaka, are the ones most impacted by polythene pollution, including the Kirtankhola River in Barisal, the Turag, Buriganga, Banshi, Balu, Shitalakshya, and Dhaleshari rivers in Dhaka. In Chittagong, the Karnaphuli and Halda rivers are now covered in a thick layer of plastic. In addition, many rivers, including the Narsunda, Surma, Karatoya, Navganga, and Ichamati, have plastic pollution. The buildup of layers of polythene several feet thick in the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, Shitalakshya, Halda, and Karnaphuli rivers is also destroying biodiversity in addition to polluting the rivers.
A major dredging project was started to deepen Karnaphuli in order to save the port, but polythene quickly became a problem. The river cannot be excavated at a typical rate as a result. At least 30 canals in Karnaphuli are experiencing polythene fallout. In the bottom of the river, a layer of polythene has collected that can reach heights of 2 to 7 metres. The capital dredging project work has to be done slowly as a result due to excess polythene in riverbed.
Production and marketing of polyethylene was banned in 2002 under the Environmental Protection Act. The Act states, ‘Manufacture, import and marketing of polythene articles prescribed by the government shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 (two) years or with fine not exceeding 2 (two) lakhs or with both and for each subsequent offense with a term not exceeding 2 (two) years. The offenders shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding 10 (ten) years or not less than 2 (two) lakh taka, monetary penalty (fine) not exceeding 10 (ten) lakh taka or both. Although polythene is banned by law, its production, marketing and use does not stop. Billions of polythene bags are thrown away after use every day across the country including the capital Dhaka. A large part of the discarded polythene bags somehow ends up in the river.
The main cause of river and river water contamination is polythene. The collapse of the river will soon have an effect on the economy and development in a developing nation like Bangladesh. Both the general public and the country’s policy leaders need to be aware of the need to prevent river pollution. For river contamination, the government should take appropriate action.