Socio-cultural life of people along the rivers Buriganga & Turag in Dhaka Akhter Shahida Dr. Shahida Akhter, Independent Researcher, Asistic Society, Dhaka, Bangladesh Online published on 21 August, 2023. Abstract Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh is a 400 years old city with a population of over 18 million. The rapidly growing Dhaka city is situated on the northern bank of the river Buriganga and surrounded by other rivers, namely: the Turag to the west, the Tongi Khal to the north and the Balu towards the east. The surrounding population of the city heavily depends on the rivers Buriganga and Turag. Unfortunately, these rivers are being polluted due to encroachment and unplanned industrialization. The once mighty Buriganga River is now one of the most polluted rivers in Bangladesh because of rampant dumping of industrial and human waste. Chemical waste from the rapidly expanding factories and tanneries, and used engine oil from hundreds of boats that use the rivers each day, is severely affecting the health and long-term sustainability of the rivers. The riverside population is using the polluted water for their daily purposes and they have been suffering from various diseases. As a result of grabbing and polluting the rivers around Dhaka city, serious water logging occurred during the recent rainy seasons. Every year, most areas of Dhaka city are flooded with water when monsoon rain occurs. According to a study report funded by the World Bank, river water around Dhaka city has altered from its natural state in terms of physical, chemical and microbiological composition and lost its suitability for any safe and beneficial use. Many people are living on the bank of Turag as well. The gypsy community is the floating people on Turag, they live on the river boats. The people of this area are using the polluted water for their daily purposes and living in unhygienic and miserable condition. Consequently, they have been suffering from various diseases. My paper aims at focusing the lives of people along the rivers Buriganga and Turag, and the impact of river and water pollution on their livelihood. Top Keywords Burigaga, Turag, Pollution, Livelihood. Top |