The environment is under threat due to the dumping of Plastic waste here and there everywhere
By Zeba Tarunnum
In every river and flowing canals in the coastal district of Barguna in Bangladesh, plastic, polythene, and aseptic wastes are being dumped every day. Tons of used plastic bottles and leftovers used for treatment, including polythene are floating in the Bay of Bengal, including Bishkhali River, Burishwar River, Khakdon river, Baleshwari River of Barguna district.
All these aseptic wastes, including plastics and polythene, are constantly reducing the fertility of soil along with polluting the water. At the same time, the coastal environment is also destroying.
Department of Environment (Bangladesh) or the local administration is not taking any action to protect the environment. Normal flow is being disrupted as the rivers and canals are already filled with all these wastes. All these aseptic wastes piled up during the low tide.
Aseptic waste polythene-plastic is being dumped freely in different canals of Taltali, Amtali, Betagi, Bamna, and Patharghata along with Khakdon, Bishkhali, and Bharani canal of Barguna district, which is causing damage to water, soil, and the environment. The canals, rivers, and estuary are being filled. The environment and biodiversity of the river are under threat along with water pollution. A polythene layer is formed at the bottom of the canal. Various species of fish and aquatic animals are getting lost due to pollution.
It has been observed at the union level, waste is being dumped everywhere due to the lack of a waste disposal system. Used Plastic water bottles and polythene are scattered in different markets. All the canals and drains of the area are being filled with these aseptic wastes. Aseptic wastes which is accumulated for years are filling the small canals. The water is being polluted.
Waste is being dumped everywhere in Patharghata Thana Mosque T&T ground, the heart of the Patharghata municipality area. The environment of different areas is being polluted due to the spread of bad odor. Besides, many water-borne diseases are spreading due to the dumping of waste in several tanks of the municipal city.
Rafiqul Islam Kakon, an environmental activist and counselor who has been working for a long time on the environment in Patharghata, said, I am protesting for a long time against the drainage system and the dumping of garbage everywhere and will continue protesting. Such a situation arise due to the lack of scheduled dumping in Patharghata Municipality. Nevertheless, hoping to get a solution for this soon.
Mr. Maharram Hossain, Additional Superintendent of Police, Journalist Monir Hossain Kamal, Member Shafiqul Islam Khokon, Mizanur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Barguna Branch, Mushfiq Arif, Member Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Rafiqul Islam, Secretary of Barguna Municipality spoke under the presidency of senior journalist Hasanur Rahman Jhantu Former president of Barguna Press Club.
Mushfiq Arif, an organizer of the environmental movement, said, due to the dumping of waste polythene and plastic at the drainage canals, the normal flow of canals, beels (water bodies), and rivers have stopped in the coastal area and lost their navigability.
These canals beels will lose their navigability and fill up the char in the next ten years. We the environmental activists make a special appeal to the government; especially the canals and beels that have lost their navigability due to dumping waste in the coastal areas should be re-excavated to regain their navigability.
In addition, since there is no office of the Department of Environment in Barguna district, they come to work from Barishal and Patuakhali just for the namesake. The Department of Environment cannot avoid its responsibility. Moreover, regarding single-use polythene, raid in stores will not be benefited. He demanded to raid and shut down the factories that are producing single-useable polythene.
