Atreyee River water turns black & emits foul smell

BALURGHAT: At the beginning of the monsoon, the water level of the Atreyee River has risen somewhat. However, the water has turned black and emits a strong stench. This situation has alarmed the residents and fishermen living near the river. They believe that Bangladesh, which has already blocked the Atreyee River with a dam, is now sending their garbage into India.

Local residents report that the Atreyee River flows from Bangladesh through Kumarganj in South Dinajpur to Balurghat before returning to Bangladesh. They claim that the river’s colour has changed to black due to the influx of rotten water from Bangladesh.

Sanjit Das, a local resident, expressed his concerns: “We have never seen such black and smelly water in the Atreyee River before. I believe the sewage and filth from Bangladesh have caused this. Bathing in this water can cause skin problems, and drinking it can make people sick. I urge the local administration to take immediate action.”

He added: “The Balurghat Municipality supplies the river’s water to local homes. Over the past 10 days, the water supplied has also become murky, black and smelly.

If the river water is not clean, neither will the water supplied to homes be.” Fishermen are worried that the polluted water may kill various fish species. The North Bengal Fishermen’s Forum has decided to launch a protest. Forum leader and river advocate Biswajit Basak stated: “Bangladesh opened their dam as the river’s water level rose, releasing a lot of garbage and waste into the river. This has heavily polluted the river, turning it black. The fishermen will file a complaint with the District Magistrate next Tuesday.”

Eminent river expert Supratim Karmakar emphasised: “We demand that all rivers should flow continuously. The damming of the Atreyee River in Bangladesh has caused siltation and pollution. With the rise in water levels due to rain, Bangladesh has started releasing this polluted water. As a result, Atreyee is bringing black and dirty water to Balurghat from Bangladesh.”

Ashok Kumar Mitra, Chairman of Balurghat Municipality, commented: “The water flowing in the Atreyee River now is black, smelly and dirty.

We purify this water and supply it to the homes within Balurghat Municipality.

However, due to the extreme pollution, our treatment plant cannot completely purify it, resulting in muddy drinking water. We expect this issue to be resolved in a few days.”