Bangladesh capital Dhaka’s lifeline, the Buriganga River, has for decades been poisoned by industrial waste and tannery chemicals, turning it into a toxic water body.
Conventional methods like dredging or chemical treatment have proven inadequate to fully clean the river. To tackle this challenge, scientists at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) have developed special bioremediation bacteria in the laboratory.
How the Technology Works (Research & Solution)
- Bioremediation: A natural process that uses microorganisms to remove pollutants from the environment.
- Toxin consumption: The specially engineered mutant bacteria absorb and digest heavy metals such as chromium and lead, as well as textile dyes present in the river water.
- Oxygen restoration: These bacteria also eliminate harmful ammonia that causes foul odor, thereby increasing the level of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water.
Significance
Bioremediation could become the most cost‑effective and eco‑friendly solution to save the Buriganga. However, scientists stress that alongside this innovation, industrial waste discharge into the river must be completely stopped to ensure lasting recovery.
This approach demonstrates how science can act as a guardian of ecosystems, offering hope that even a river long considered “dead” can be revived if pollution is controlled at its source.
