The Shibsa River (Bangladesh) is in crisis due to the violence of the encroachers

Shibsa River in Paikgacha Upazila of Khulna, Bangladesh, has lost its existence due to non-regular digging and violence of encroachers. Due to encroachment, water drainage is becoming a problem.

When it rains, flooding occurs in the river bank areas. For a long time, locals have been demanding to dig the river and free it from encroachment, but no solution has come.

Shibsa River in Paikgacha Upazila of Khulna was once the mainstay of the region’s waterway-based trade. Various boats, including launches, and steamers, used to cross the river. However, those are past now.

Due to navigable decline, the Shibsa has now become grazing land in many places. Occupancy is also going on. The river is about to disappear due to a lack of practical initiatives in regular mining and eviction of encroachers.

Due to silt up the river, there is also a problem with water drainage in the city’s surrounding areas. Heavy rains cause flooding. The locals have been demanding to dig the river for a long time. However, the problem remains unsolved.

However, Md. Ashraful Alam, the Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, Khulna, promised to evict the squatters and dig.

Md. Aktaruzzaman Babu, the local member of the Bangladesh parliament, claimed to take steps to solve the problem.