Only two major waterways -- Dhaka-Mongla and Dhaka-Chittagong -- having a total length of about 600 km, are fully navigable.

The remaining waterways, particularly in the northern region, have reached a 'saturation point', experts noted. The trend of sedimentation shows the situation is getting 'out of control' and if nothing is done, all major waterways will lose navigability with the start of lean period every year.

The BIWTA, with an annual allocation of Tk 12 crore for channel maintenance and a fleet of seven small dredgers, can remove a maximum of 2.6 million cubic metres cubes of sediments from the riverbeds per year. It is required to remove around eight million cubic metres of sediments a year to maintain 'reasonable navigability' in the designated waterways, said Abdul Matin, chief engineer of dredging section of the BIWTA.

The WDB with 27 dredgers and huge manpower is capable of removing 7.5 million cubic metres of sediment but it used less than one third of its dredging capacity last year due to lack of initiative by the authorities.

Quoting a recent study on sedimentation, experts said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna alone deposits 589.33 million tons of sediment and the Ganges-Padma 557.45 million tons on an average each year.

This year the Jamuna riverbed has become so 'unstable' due to strong current and rapid sedimentation that the authorities are struggling to keep ferry services in operation. Dozens of oil tankers and cargo vessels got stuck up at Nokalia-Pachakhali points of the river recently, severely hampering fuel distribution in the north-western regions, Matin said.

Most experts in the BIWTA and the WDB blamed the policymakers for failing 'to politically look into the issue of river protection'. They said the country's lawmakers almost never talk about protection of rivers while campaigning for elections. They only pledge for construction of new roads and culverts, and not for protection of rivers which are fast dying.

Experts also said that over the last 30 years, nearly 100 out of the 310 listed rivers in the country have been reduced to a trickle due to sedimentation and negligence of the policymakers to address the issue. Apart from the Padma, Jamuna and Meghna, the other rivers either remain dry or flow in small streams on their sandy beds during lean period. With their beds filled with sediments, the huge volumes of water rushing from the upstream in the rainy season flood the country, causing sufferings to millions every year.

A top official of the BIWTA said negligence of the successive governments in restoring navigability has been reflected in budgetary allocations since the independence.

"We have failed to realise that maintaining waterways means prosperity of the country and saving of crores of taka in transportation costs," said a top engineer of the WDB requesting anonymity.

Experts noted the demand for water has risen manifold with the rise of population, and without a proper plan for floodwater management, it would not be possible to protect the natural waterways.