Atreyee River finds mention at int’l conference in Dhaka
BALURGHAT: Atreyee River that passes through South Dinajpur found mention in the two-day ‘International Conference on trans-boundary Rivers of South Asia: Fostering Regional Cooperation for Environmental Sustainability’ in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The conference was hosted jointly by the department of Geography of Manchester University; the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance of North South University, Dhaka and the National River Protection Commission of Bangladesh. Participants, including river researchers and environmentalists from England, India, Bangladesh, Germany, Kenya, Nepal and Bhutan took part in the conference.
Tuhin Shubhra Mandal, an environmental activist from Balurghat and secretary of Dishari Sankalpo — a green group — presented a research paper “focusing on the Atreyee River, a significant water body in South Dinajpur” at the conference. Mandal highlighted the challenges faced by the river, such as water scarcity, the impact of rubber dams in Bangladesh on the river and the plight of fishermen and farmers due to loss of fish. Discussions also touched upon topics like the need for collaborative efforts between Bangladesh and India regarding the Atreyee River, as well as international initiatives for river conservation and management.
Mandal emphasised the importance of preserving the Atreyee River and advocated “for international cooperation in addressing its challenges, including water conservation and sustainable tourism.”
A few days ago, during her campaign for the Lok Sabha elections in Balurghat, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had raised the longstanding issue of water scarcity in the Atreyee. She had mentioned her communication with the Bangladesh government regarding this matter. In response to this challenge, the state government has constructed a rubber dam at Balurghat to retain water in the Atreyee during droughts.
The shortage of water in the Atreyee during drought seasons has posed significant challenges for fishermen and farmers. However, with the implementation of the rubber dam, water availability has improved, benefiting agriculture and fishing communities in the region.
