The very old proverb 'Barind is a land whose name is written in water' seems to be true to its alphabets as without water, the existence of the vast Barind region under greater Rajshahi districts (Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Natore) is going to become extinct. A field survey conducted by Bangladesh Water Journalists' Forum (BWJF) at the Barind tract surrounding the River Padma has revealed a horrendous situation of the Barind region with the ravages of its environment due to drying up of rivers, mainly the 'mighty' River Padma. Though, through fetching water from underground aquifer with more than 3,500 deep tube wells, a large part of Barind region has been brought under irrigation project, in reality, the excessive use of underground water for decades is creating a continuous depletion in the level of subterranean water reservoir. In addition, the menace of Arsenic contamination in water caused due to excessive use of underground water is a threat for human, animal and plant existence in the region. In addition to the use of underground water, 'indiscriminate' withdrawal of water from the River Padma, once known as the lifeline of the country including the Barind region, a vast tract of land along the river is slowly, subtly and surely going to turn into a desert jeopardising its rich and diverse flora-fauna and aquatic resources. Due to turning of the river Padma and its tributaries dry, chars have appeared at some 400 kilometre long areas along the rivers and some chars have taken permanent shapes. More than 30 tributaries of 20 adjacent districts of Padma have also been dried up which no longer can be termed as rivers. These tributaries and branch rivers include Chhoto Padma, Gorai, Madhumati, Kaliganga, Pashur, Bhola, Borodia, Kalikumar, Hisna, Sagarkhali, Chandana, Bhairab, Kobadak, Boiktala, Icchamati, Dholai, Kajla, Nabaganga, Chiknai Harihar, Boral, Arial Kha are being deprived from the currents and flow of the river Padma. Moreover, India has constructed dam over five rivers resulting in stoppage of flow of water in the rivers of Mohananda, Karotoa, Pagla, Atrai, Baranoi and Dharla. The rivers of Punarbhaba, Tangon, Chaoiyai, Tepa, Fulghar and Chilka have been completely died up and dead. There is no trees, no water, no chirping of birds along these rivers nowadays. A vast tract of region of Rajshahi, Kushtia, Pabna, Sirajganj, Faridpur, Jessore, Satkhira and Barisal is facing the threat of desertification. No where in the river Padma, the turbulent water with cracking sound of waves could be heard. There is only sand dunes and dry reeds even under the Hardinge Bridge Paksey the place which was once regarded as the deepest most cavernous region of the Padma. Chalan Beel, the largest natural water body of the country which was famous for its unique biodiversity, is now a cultivable land during the dry season. Almost all the ponds, beels, jheels and water bodies of the north-western region have been turned dry due to impact of Farakka. Due to unabated increase in salinity in the rivers and tributaries criss-crossing through the Sunderbans, top dying disease has attacked a large number of Sundari trees of the largest mangrove forest of the world. Animals of the forest are also suffering from an acute crisis of drinking water. The trees like Gewa, Goran, Kewra, Bain, Jhana, Garjan and Poshor trees are also being threatened because of increase of salinity of the rivers. It is learnt, due to withdrawal of water of the river Padma through Farakka Barrage and for the controlling of water-flow by constructing dams over five other common rivers in India, an acute scarcity of water is being felt every where in the north-western region, specially during the lean period. A huge environmental and ecological crisis is being noticed at the Barind region. The surface water being polluted and withering, Arsenic is contaminating drinking and irrigated water, the underground water level is depleting, the land depletion and river erosion being intensified, biodiversity being destroyed, air and sound being polluted, there has been increased problem of disposal of solid waste, the depletion and decrease of agriculture land and loss of fertility due to eroding of organic compound in soil, drying up of water bodies, increased natural catastrophes and climate change. Already many animals, fowls and reptiles which used to roam in the jungles and flood plains along the river Padma are extinct So far 21 of these extinct animals have been recorded which include Large horned Rhinocerous (Rhinoceros unicornis), small horned Rhinocerous, twin horned Rhinocerous, Black Antelope (Antelope cervicapra), Neel Gai (Bocehhalus tragocamelus), Wild buffalo, wild cow, Cheetah, twelve horned deer, Marble eyed deer, Golden cat, Dancing deer, Wolf, sweet water crocodile, Bengal Furiken, Khatash, Porcupine (extremely rare), Rose headed duck, Peacock (Pavo cristatus), King Vulture, Egg eater snake and Bostami Tortoise (found in captivity only). Meanwhile, according to International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the critically endangered wild animals which once thrived at the forests and flood plains along the Padma river and other places of the Barind region are: Shy monkey (Nycticebus coucang), Black Hanuman, Ulluk (Buniptthecus hoolock), Tiger (Panthera tigris), fish eating tiger, wild cat, Otter, Baghdash, and Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista Gangetica) while the birds include: Water fowl, Wood peacock, Badi duck, Boncha Duck (Sarkidornis melanotos), King Dhanesh (Buceros biocornis), Kingfisher, Owl, Hot titi, Cow-dhanesh and white eagle. Many of the above animals are no more found in this region. The critically endangered reptiles include: Mohona crocodile, Gharial (gavialis gangeticus), porpoises and tortoises, Flying lizard, Python, Diba tortoises, Black monitor (Gui sap), Dhudhraj snake, black snake (Bangarus caeruleus), tree frog and green frog. Only two of Ganges Ghorials of same sex have been kept captive at Rajshahi zoo. The withering of the river Padma and its tributaries for more than last 30 years, has resulted in extinction of several species of fishes. According to a source, 260 species of fishes were found in the northwestern region of the country of which 143 belonged to small fishes. More than 41 species of small fishes are on the verge of extinction now. These include: Shankha, Fansha, four varieties of Puti, Khayera, Pabda, Panikoi, Bancha, Milon, Yellow Tengra, Bele, Ganges Pangas fish, Bheda fish and Bou fish. Hilsha was once in plenty at the foot of Hardinge Bridge and in Rajshahi but now those are rarely found. The scarcity of water at the Padma as well as other rivers and beels has also caused a huge loss in the very small plants, insects and aquatic lives. According to a survey of the Department of Zoology of Rajshahi University, the water bodies of the north-western region once thrived with thousands of species of living plant-particles (phytoplankton) and animal-particles (zoo plankton). Now the number of those prize species has been dwindled to only 59 species of Chlorophyceae, 26 species of Cyassophyceae, 14 species of Bacillaniophyceae, 11 species of Euglenophyceae, 3 species of Dinophyceae, one species of Xanthophyceae, 19 species of Rotifer,12 species of Cladocera and 11 species of Copepoda. Many other indigenous species of plankton, beneficial insects and water worms have become extinct or on the way to extinction nowadays. The withdrwal of water from the river Padma through Farakka Brrage has also struck erious blow on plant vegetation. There are hundreds of endangered plants including both aquatic plants and non-aquatic plants. Some of them are also endemic plants (which is only found in Bangladesh) . The small and microscopic plants include ferns, algae, gymnospern, Cyclops, Daphni, Zooplantkton, diatom, Phytoplantkton and angiospern are also on the verge of extinction due to drying up of the river beds. Due to increased use of underground water for irrigation and drinking purposes, the waters of the north-western region have become hard. Water being polluted by the concentration of excessive amount of Ammonium Sulphate, Iron, Biocarbonate, Nitrate, Borate, etc. from the underground sources. A research conducted by Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) in Godagari found the pH level in the soil of Rajshahi has been reduced to 0.3 unit to 1.00 unit. The research further found that due to non-flooding of the soils regularly by the river water, the amount of Calcium has been reduced to 2.48 unit to 2.36 unit in Barind region and Magnesium reduction at the same region is 0.79 to 0.73 units. The reduction of Potassium and Phosphorus level is further alarming in the soil of the Barind region. Due to excessive warming and drying up of soil in absence of sufficient moisture, the beneficial insects including bacteria and earth worm have vanished. Among 64 districts of the country, toxic Arsenic has been found in the water of 61 districts. Specially, the concentration of Arsenic in water adjacent to the river Padma and Jamuna is very high. According to a survey of WHO, as against the tolerable limit of 0.05 microgram per litre of water, Arsenic has been detected 685 mic./litre in Kukhandi village under Paba upazila of Rajshahi district, 1,092 microgram per liter of water in Gharial village under Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj district. All these villages are situated beside the river Padma and the village farmers used underground water for irrigation and household purposes. It has also been noticed that Arsenic contamination in water is very huge with the upazilas of Shibganj, Charghat, Bagha, Lalpur, Godagari and Paba because all those upazilas are situated near Padma river. The exact cause of Arsenic contamination is yet to be determined but it is certainly involved with the increased used of underground water due to scarcity of surface water. Due to withdrawal of water through Farakka and other barrages and increased use of underground water, the subterranean aquifer levels of Naogaon, Joypurhat and Bogra region have been depleted below 50 to 60 metres. During the lean period (summer) the subterranean water level depleted to 15 to 30 metres as against the normal level 10 to 15 meter in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts. During March the aquifer level goes below 30 metre in Nachole upazila of Chapainawabganj district resulting in widespread scarcity of water elsewhere. An article written by Khan and Rashid showed that the arsenic is contaminated in water due to increased use of underground water and to combat the menace it is necessary to formulate emergency policies of use of underground water, use of surface water and rainwater and choosing of crops which require less water. The soil erosion along the river Padma has turned serious. The erosion along the banks of the river Padma, Jamuna and Teesta has devoured thousands of hectares of farm land and innumerous homesteads. The river erosion is intensified every year in Rangpur, Rajshahi city, Chapainawabganj, Gaibandha, Bogra, Shibganj, Godagari, Charghat, Bagha and Lalpur. In the flood of 1998, the river Padma eroded 50 metres and in the flood of 2001 it eroded 5 metres on land inside Rajshahi city. Professor M. Sarwar Jahan, Director of the Institute of Environmental Science, Rajshahi University while talking to this correspondent informed, due to adverse impact of Farakka, the Padma is now dead. Vast water bodies of the river has been replaced by sand dunes. Due to the impact deposited sand, there has been an abnormal fluctuation of temperature resulting an excessive heat during the summer and very low temperature in winter. He said, due to huge deposit of sand, the normal evaporation of water is not being possible, as a result, there is no normal absorption of temperature by soil and water. The big constructions, sand and sticky soil around the Padma are absorbing the heat at daytime and releasing that during night resulting a very low difference in day and the night temperature. And as a result of increased temperature, the moisture in the air is decreasing which is a trend of desertification. For the same reason, the main fall is decreasing year after year at the Barind region, he continued adding that the deposition of sand has raised the river bed and during the monsoon when excess water is released through the Farakka, both sides of the river is flooded and river erosion intensified resulting a huge agricultural loss, devastation of biodiversity, human lives and properties. Professor M. Sarwar Jahan revealed an unique information about flooding of Satkhira and southern part of Jessore. He said, people of those areas never felt the menace of flood before but for the last couple of years they are facing flood as an impact of Farakka. In this connection, he said, during diversion of excessive water of Farakka through Hooghly river, a huge part of areas of 24-Parganas, Hatnabad and Bashirhat of West Bengal are being flooded. As Satkhira, southern part of Jessore, parts of Khulna and Kushtia are adjacent to river Hooghly and its tributaries, those areas are also being flooded during excessive input of water through the Farakka Barrage. It is learnt, the riverine transport through the river Padma and its tributaries remained completely suspended during lean period. As a result, more than two million people and fishermen of Greater Rajshahi and greater Pabna districts have turned unemployed. More than 7,000 ferry ghats which were used for transporting passengers and goods have also been closed incurring thousands of crore takas loss in government revenue. Dr. Ainul Haque, who has been working on the depleting fish stocks of the river Padma while talking to this Correspondent said, it is feared within next one decade, the entire Padma river from Shibganj to Goalundo will turn completely dry and fishless. As a result, salinity in the water will increase and a huge tract of land will become unfit for agriculture. He mentioned, there was no alternative to build Ganges Barrage to increase water reserve in Padma and to save the environment of the Barind region from disaster. He mentioned, the Ganges Barrage project undertaken by the then Pakistani government in 1969 and in 1980 the foundation stone of the project was laid at Muslempur of Bahirchar union of Behramara Upazila of the Kushtia district. The total cost of the project was then estamited at Taka 1,031 crore. A site office was also constructed at the place and some staff were also appointed but due to unknown reason the execution of the project remained suspended. According to a report of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a minimum of 40 percent flow of water is required for a river to keep it alive but in the Padma, there is less than 15 percent flow even during full monsoon. During the lean period the flow is reduced drastically. Nazrul Islam, Executive Engineer of GK Project, the largest irrigation project of the country, which uses surface water for irrigation from the river Padma informed, to keep the pumps in operation, at least 35,000 cusec of water at the river is required but due to non availability of sufficient water at the river, the pumps cannot be run in full capacity. He further informed, the water sharing treaty of the Ganges should be maintained by both countries for the benefit of people of both countries and for the conservation of nature. If Padma dies, both the countries will be losers.