The dying Shahjahanpur Jheel (video)

A deltaic country, the plains of Bangladesh are crisscrossed with a million water bodies. The canals, marshlands and the rivers make the quintessential image that Rural Bengal conjures up.

Dhaka city, which grew on the banks of Buriganga, was a city of many lakes and canals.

They served the key purposes of trade, navigation, also were source of food and had an aesthetic purpose.

Meant for draining storm water and municipal liquid waste ensuring that the roads do not get water logged they are now covered and completely clogged with solid waste.

Due to rapid urbanization these waterways have become the primary dumping ground for all sorts of wastes, resulting in a concoction of black toxic soup.

Even though this water body has become an environmental hazard and poses serious health risks, normal livelihood persists around the area.

This is the Shajahanpur Jheel, a remnant of what was once a pride and beauty of the area.