Dhaka turns artificial desert for shrinking of water bodies

Mirza Abbas

Dhaka, April 25 - BNP senior leader Mirza Abbas on Thursday voiced serious concerns over the scorching heatwave gripping the city and the emergence of profound environmental degradation, alleging that Dhaka is gradually turning into an artificial desert due to encroachment of water bodies.

“Dhaka has turned into a city lined with bricks and stones. Grass and trees are now rarely seen here. The biggest problem is that Dhaka city has now become an artificial desert,” he said.

The BNP leader made the remarks while distributing bottled water and saline among the pedestrians in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan central office amid the persisting severe heatwave.

Ziaur Rahman Foundation arranged the programme to alleviate public suffering as a severe heatwave sweeping over the country.

Abbas, a BNP standing committee member and former mayor of undivided Dhaka city, said most of the water bodies around the capital have been filled by the land grabbers.

“Who are these land encroachers? They’re backed by the government. They’re being pampered by the government as they have a collusion and secret relation with the ruling quarter,” he said.

Pointing fingers at the disappearance of the city's once abundant water bodies, the BNP leader bemoaned that water reservoirs around Dhaka city have been filled up.

“It implies that Dhaka has now become an artificial desert…heat emanates from vehicles, bricks and stones in Dhaka city surrounded by sand amidst the absence of trees, canals and water bodies. So, where will the cold come from relief from the scorching heat?" he observed.

Abbas said the country has been witnessing the environmental degradation and the curse of nature due to the rule of an anti-people and unelected regime "The intense heatwave is a repercussion of environmental destruction... the government bears responsibility for it.” 

He asked the chief heat officer of Dhaka North City Corporation to urge the government to recover the grabbed canals and other water bodies around Dhaka city by removing artificial desertification with sand. “You (heat officer) tell the government to break the collaboration with the land grabbers and give back the water reservoirs to get relief from environmental degradation.’

Abbas also highlighted the declining condition of the common rivers of Bangladesh due to the negligence of the government.

He said the situation across Bangladesh is alarming as people never experienced such heatwaves or scorching temperatures in the past.

The BNP leader said Bangladesh has been witnessing an abnormal shift in its traditional six seasons due to a change in temperatures caused by environmental degradation.

 "Very slowly, Bangladesh is moving towards desertification because of the current illegal government’s knee-jerk foreign policy. The construction of the Farakka Barrage has severely disrupted the water flow in the Padma River. The Teesta, Brahmaputra, and Jamuna rivers have also witnessed a significant decline in water flow," he said.

Stating that there were more than 1,100 rivers in Bangladesh, Abbas alleged that around 300 rivers have already disappeared due to encroachment by the ruling party men. - UNB