Source mouth of river Kaliganga in Cheuriya village of Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia. Kaliganga, a tributary of Garai River in Kushtia, is now dying. It is alleged that railways and roads are constructed through dams. Since then, local influentials, businessmen, and politicians have been occupying the river for fish farming. He also built various structures including houses and shops. As a result, the river about 350 meters wide has now become a canal.
It has been seen on the ground that starts from Cheuriya in Kushtia part to Lahini, Sanota, Kamalapur, Pierpur, Shalgharamdhua, Banshgram, Kushlibasa, Harinarayanpur, houses and businesses have been built on both banks of the river. The influential people created gardens by occupying the river and planting various trees. Someone is doing fish farming with the dam.
It is known that the source mouth of the Kaliganga River was closed 25-30 years ago. The river became suffocated. Earlier in 1870, the British government constructed a railway line in the middle of the river in the Lahini area and the Kaliganga lost its course because of the highway next to the dam.
Rashedur Rahman, the executive engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board Kushtia, said that the National River Protection Commission looks at other issues including the movement of the river. As part of that work, illegal encroachments on both sides of the river will be cleared.
ARS
