"> Regular dumping of garbage, as per recent arrangement of the authorities of nearby Mymensingh municipality, badly affects the environment of the already dying Puratan Brahmaputra River. The photo was taken yesterday. PHOTO: STARHuge garbage including that from sacrificial animals is being dumped into the Puratan Brahmaputra River at Puran Godaraghat in the town, adding to serious pollution of the already dying river.
The callous act has continued since October 17, much to the nuisance of around 1400 families living in the slums adjacent to the area, residents said.
Kids reading in five pre-primary schools run by NGOs in the slums are the worst sufferers due to the odour from the garbage, they added.
"Over 500 people involved in sand business near the dumping spot are facing serious problem. We have asked the workers not to dump garbage here but they repeatedly told about the authorities' order," said Ariful Islam Jhony, a sand trader.
Around 100 tonnes of garbage is being dumped into the river daily although it is not a usual dumping spot of the municipality, said Mohabbat Ali, conservation inspector, and Dipak Majumder, sanitary inspector of the municipality, both assigned for garbage dumping.
Ekramul Haque Titu, mayor of the municipality, said the decision was taken to dump the garbage including that from sacrificial animals into the river for the better interest of the town dwellers.
As serious traffic jam hinders carrying of garbage to the dumping point at Moilakanda, on the other side of Shambhuganj Bridge on different occasions, the waste is being dumped at Puran Godaraghat, he added.
He, however, admitted harmful consequences of the act on environment.
Protesting garbage dumping into the river, NGO Phulki organised a human chain at Mymensingh Shaheb Quarter Park on Friday. The speakers at the programme under the banner of 'Save Brahmaputra' urged the authorities concerned to stop garbage dumping and illegal sand lifting from different points of the river.
Contacted, Md Yousuf Ali, assistant director [Technical] of the Department of Environment in Mymensingh, said, "The department is yet to know the matter. At a meeting before the Eid-ul-Azha, the municipality authority was asked to dump the garbage at its selected locations. Garbage dumping into the river is a serious violation of environment laws."
Nurul Amin Kalam, secretary of Mymensingh Nagorik Andolon, said, "We urged the municipality authorities to stop garbage dumping into the river. If they do not stop the unwise act immediately, we will go for movement soon."