A few months ago, I saw the name of the Japshari River on a CS map. According to that map, it was understood that the river would be in Kandi Union of Pirgachha Upazila of Rangpur district. We usually find the river first, then look for documents. This case is an exception. Here, we first look at the records and then go to find the river.
One of our students named Shamsur Rahman Sumon is one of the organizers of the Riverine People Club of Begum Rokeya University. In the meantime, he has joined the movement for the Baromasi River in Kurigram, the Khatkhatia River in Badarganj Upazila of Rangpur, the Shalmara River in Mithapukur Upazila, the Khoksaghaghat River in Sadar Upazila and the Teesta River. One day, I asked him to get information about the Japshari River. This river is located about 10 kilometers away from their village home. He came to see this river one day. Along with that, he also collected some information.
During the last holy Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, we set off on a motorcycle from Rangpur with one of our students from the river movement activist Begum Rokeya University. We first went about 40 kilometers away and reached the banks of the Masankura River in Kabilapara village of Kandi Union. There we saw the Masankura River. The Masankura River is formed by the confluence of the Japshori and Tara rivers.
The Japshari River flows through several mouzas including Kandi, Talukkandi Natabari, Doani Moniram mouzas of Pirgachha Upazila and Uttar Dadan of Tambulpur Union. The Japshari originates from the Burail River. Then it joins the Tara River in the Kura area of Sati. The Tara River was also found here. Then it flows with the name Masankura and falls into the Teesta River in Gaibandha Upazila.
The total length of the Japshari River is about 20 kilometers. The river has not been dredged according to CS records. There are also some encroachments. According to the information given to us, it has been officially listed by the Ministry of Water Resources this year.
I learned from a signboard on the riverbank that the Local Government Engineering Department has implemented a project to dredge the Japshari River. The signboard for the project mentions ‘Japshari Canal’. The place where the Japshari River originates from the Burail River is called Duragari. There is a sluice gate 500 meters downstream from the origin. The length of the sluice gate will be one-fourth of the length of the river. I saw the first trap to kill the Japshari River.
Japshari River in Pirgachha Upazila of Rangpur DistrictPhoto: Tuhin Wadud
We are protesting to demand the liberation of a river called Shalmara in Rangpur. I thought that the river and the river in Abdul Hai Sikder’s poem were the same. After talking to the poet, I came to know that this Shalmara river is in Bhurungamari Upazila of Kurigram.
I went to see the river during the last Ramadan Eid holiday. After about 10 kilometers from Kurigram, I saw a low place on both sides of the road near a bridge in the Madhyakumarpur area and thought it might be a river. Although rice has been cultivated, it looks like a river. I learned from the local shopkeepers nearby that it originates from the Dharla River and flows for about 10 kilometers before joining the Dharla River again. The river has a strong current during the monsoon. Although there was water in this river all year round 30 to 35 years ago, the river has now become a seasonal river. It is a river outside the official list.
Upon reaching Bhurungamari Upazila, it was seen that the Shalmara flows through Pathardubi and Tilai Unions. After talking to many locals, I came to know that the river enters Bangladesh from India. It enters Bangladesh through Garaljhara Mouza in Dinhata area of Cooch Behar district, India. The Mouza through which it enters Bangladesh is called Taluk Moshaldanga.
The name of this river is Bhangadara when it enters through Moshaldanga. In Rangpur region, small rivers are called ‘Dara’. From Moshaldanga in Pathardubi Union, Bhangadara River joins Dudhkumar River in Tilai Union. It is known as Bhangadara River up to Diadanga Beel in Diadanga village. After Diadanga Beel, it was named Shalmara River.
Local people said that this river used to have water all year round. It was very deep. For 25 to 30 years, the water level has been decreasing and there is no water in the dry season. However, there is still a lot of current in the river during the rainy season. Even 30 to 35 years ago, many boats used to ply on this river. An elderly person said that big boats used to come here from Jamalpur with potatoes. They would leave the potatoes and take the rice and leave.
I saw several bridges on the river. The width of the river is approximately 70 feet. It flows almost the same width. The river did not dry up even once in March; I saw water in many places.
From where we stood in Diadanga village and saw the river, India is just two kilometers upstream. After entering Bangladesh from India, about two and a half kilometers of the Shalmara River up to the Diadanga River have been leased to four people. Local people have raised questions, how was the river leased? Local people are against the lease. There is never an opportunity to lease rivers and canals like this.
The four rivers that I discovered, namely Japshari, Tara, Girai and Shalmara, will disappear in the near future if they are not taken care of. Just as big rivers are important, so are small rivers. Because small rivers are the lifeblood of big rivers. If they do not survive, big rivers will not survive either.
● Tuhin Wadud Begum is a professor of the Department of Bengali at Rokeya University and director of the river protection organization Riverine People.
Source: Prothom Alo
