Asadullah Masum, Kapasia (Gazipur)

Correspondent: The banks of Shitalakshya river in Kapasia, Gazipur have become a garbage dump. Garbage from houses and Sadar Bazar of the upazila town is being dumped on the banks of the river near the market. Due to this, the Shitalakshya river, which was once a flowing stream, is being filled with garbage and polythene. The environment and river water are being polluted constantly. Although local people and environmentalists have complained about this, the administration is not taking any action.

The victims complain that garbage and various waste from houses and houses in Kapasia Sadar Bazar and its surroundings are going into the river. The banks of Shitalakshya river adjacent to the market have been turned into a garbage dump. Waste from the market's slaughterhouses, animal waste and chicken intestines, curd scum, sugarcane husks, rotten fruits and other types of waste are being dumped directly on the banks of the river and into the river. Even occasionally, a van brings garbage and waste from homes in different areas and leaves it in piles on the river bank. This garbage and polythene ends up in the river water. A huge pile of polythene and garbage has also accumulated on the river bank. There is a fishing pier nearby.

Some people who came to the market via the river bank said that when they come to the market, they have to hold a handkerchief over their nose. They cannot go to the raw market area due to the foul smell. This garbage and waste is spreading diseases. All the garbage and waste from the market is dumped on the river bank. Local residents and market traders Md. Humayun Kabir Liton, Md. Habibur Rahman and Md. Jamal Uddin complained that garbage was first dumped on the riverbank and filled it. After that, it was seen that some influential people in the area or market have occupied this place and rented out shops and houses.

Earlier we used to bathe in the clean water of the Shitalakshya River. Currently, polluted water mixed with chemicals from various industrial factories in Sreepur and Bhaluka areas and garbage from Kapasia Bazar are mixing with the water of the Shitalakshya River, turning it black and the water smelly. Whenever you enter the river, your body itches and various scabs appear on your body.

In this regard, Md. Saiful Islam Shaheen, Member Secretary of the Market Traders Association, said about dumping garbage on the riverbank of the market, as there is no specific place to keep garbage from the market, all this is being thrown on the riverbank. During the rainy season, the polluted water from this garbage flows into the Shitalakshya River. As a result, the river water is getting polluted a lot.

The market traders are hopeful that the administration will take necessary permanent measures in this regard. And it has been seen for a long time that an influential group used to take advantage of the river bank by dumping garbage and filling it. They used to illegally build shops and houses in the filled areas and hand over the houses for a large sum of money. The administration will be informed about this so that a specific place is arranged elsewhere to dump the garbage of the market.

UNO Tamanna Tasneem said, the leaseholders of Kapasia Bazar can throw this garbage and waste from the market and surrounding houses somewhere else instead of throwing it on the river bank. A lot of damage is being done to the environment due to dumping garbage here.