WATERKEEPERS BANGLADESH
WATERKEEPERS BANGLADESH
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About WKB
    • What We Do
    • History
    • Members
    • Board Of Directors
    • Together With
  • Activities
  • Resources
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Donate

Saving the Surma River from “Going Down the Toilet”

  • Home
  • Saving the Surma River from “Going Down the Toilet”
  • January 19, 2017
  • admin

After numerous protests from Surma River Waterkeeper, other green voices, local people and repeated reporting by national newspapers, the Sylhet district administration began demolishing the notorious toilets from the east bank of the Surma River. The toilets were built in June by Kazirbazar Matsya Arotdar Samity (Kazirbazar Fisheries Agent Association) inside a luxurious structure for the fish traders of the area. There were eight such toilets, from which the human wastes were directly released into the Surma River, a river that is an integral part of the country’s history and culture, but already under constant threats due to over-development and pollution.

On top of those threats, the threat posed by the toilets along its bank, less than half a kilometer from the Sylhet City Corporation (SSC), was notorious. Initially, SSC was reluctant to take any step regarding the matter. Surma River Waterkeeper brought this to the attention of the media by providing pertinent information to the Sylhet bureau chief of the largest national Bengali daily, the Prothom Alo, which published the first report on 21 June, 2016. In addition to the series of reports by the Prothom Alo, the leading national English daily of Bangladesh, the Daily Star, published several news reports on the illegal toilets and Surma River Waterkeeper protested the existence of the toilets vehemently. On September 10, the Daily Star reported a story with the headline “Toilets occupying river land, a new way to kill Surma in Sylhet,” that  highlighted the pollution caused by those toilets.  It subsequently ran a follow-up urging that the toilets be removed by September 30.

After those reports were published by such influential newspapers, the Sylhet City Corporation committed to demolishing the toilets quickly. However, Surma River Waterkeeper found that the city corporation was not taking any steps to launch the demolition as the location of the toilets were under the jurisdiction of the district administration. So, Surma River Waterkeeper started a social movement together with other green voices like Save the Heritage and Environment and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Sylhet Chapter. Eventually, a team of civil society leaders and green activists formed by the Surma River Waterkeeper met the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sylhet district to hand over a memorandum where the activists demanded the demolishing initiative be undertaken within 24 hours. Finally, the Sylhet district administration responded to that and on October 5th, they started the demolition under the direction of Executive Magistrate Nurul Huda.

After the demolition of the illegal toilets, the warriors of the movement were overwhelmed with joy. “We thank the newspapers for creating such public awareness,” said Enamul Habib, chief executive of Sylhet City Corporation. Abdul Karim Kim, Surma River Waterkeeper and General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Sylhet chapter, said, “It was a successful operation. But steps should have been taken sooner.” Abdul Hye AL-Hadi, chief executive, Save the Heritage and Environment, said, “The toilets were constructed violating the prevailing rules pertinent to environmental conservation and due to negligence of the local administration. We hope, they will be more vigilance in the future.”

Links to news paper regarding the issues:

Prothom Alo – সুরমাতীরে বিলাসী শৌচাগার বর্জ্য মিশছে নদীতে

Prothom Alo – ২৪ ঘণ্টার মধ্যে বিলাসী সেই শৌচাগার ভাঙার আশ্বাস

Prothom Alo – সুরমাতীরে বিলাসী সেই শৌচাগার ভাঙা শুরু

Prothom Alo – অপসারণ হয়নি সুরমাতীরের সেই অবৈধ বিলাসী শৌচাগার

The Daily Star – Toilets occupying river land a new way to kill Surma

The Daily Star – Toilets still there

The Daily Star – Removed finally

Sylhet Today 24 – ২৪ ঘণ্টার মধ্যে সেই বিলাসী শৌচাগার ভাঙার আশ্বাস জেলা প্রশাসকের

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previous Post
Next Post

Leave a comment

Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • Events on World Water Day 2023
  • Events on International Day of Forests 2023
  • Events on International Day of Action for Rivers 2023 Across Bangladesh
  • Waterkeepers Bangladesh organized a Uthan Boithok at Taltali, Barguna on 9th March 2023
  • Waterkeepers Bangladesh, Upokuliyo Janakllyan Sangha, and Amra Kolaparabasi organized a Uthan Boithok at Water Museum, Pakhimara, Kalapara on 9th March 2023

Recent Comments

  1. A WordPress Commenter on Discovery incommode earnestly commanded mentions.

Recent Post

  • crysa
    March 23, 2023
    Events on World Water Day 2023
  • crysa
    March 22, 2023
    Events on International Day of Forests 2023
  • crysa
    March 15, 2023
    Events on International Day of Action for Rivers 2023 Across Bangladesh

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • May 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • October 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • January 2016
logo wht

About Us

Waterkeepers Bangladesh safeguards water bodies and ecosystems entailing water sources on which all life depends

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Contact Us

  • +88 02 48115429, +88 017 98 099 909
  • info@waterkeepersbangladesh.org
  • House#159, Road#06, Block#Ka PICI Culture Housing Society, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207

Follow Us On Facebook

© 2015 Waterkeepers Bangladesh All rights reserved. Developed by MH HOST BD