Canal reclamation difficult despite PM directive: Ashraf

The LGRD and cooperatives minister, Syed Ashraful Islam, on Tuesday told the parliament it was difficult to reclaim water bodies and canals in the capital grabbed by influential quarters.
In reply to a question of ruling Awami League lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder, he said, ‘Despite the prime minister’s directive and the High Court order to dismantle illegal structures constructed in water bodies and canals after dirt-filling, which causes stagnation of water in the city, the authorities are facing troubles in doing so as developer companies are powerful.’
‘The people who grab land are very powerful. Fighting them in court is a difficult task,’ the minister said during the question-answer session in the parliament, presided over by the deputy speaker, Shawkat Ali.
Ashraf said developer companies, who are powerful and own thousands of crores of takas, were building housing estates by dirt-filling floodplains around Dhaka and reclamation of such places became a very difficult task.
In reply to a question by Awami League lawmaker AKM Rahmatullah, he told the house the underground water level was going down every year for excessive use and if this situation would continue, there would be no water underground for use.
The minister said if the could be no water underground, environmental disaster would be lurking for city residents and the capital would be uninhabitable.
He told the house the demand for water in the capital every day was about 210 crore litres while the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority could supply 195 crore litres, leaving a gap of 15 crore litres a day.
Ashraful said systems loss in Dhaka WASA was 35 per cent because of illegal connection and link to the pipeline.
He said as the underground water level was going down every year, the government had taken initiatives to install more water treatment plants to treat river water. ‘But water in river surrounding the capital is severely polluted and it cannot be treated,’ he said, adding WASA was taking steps to treat water from the River Meghna.
He also said the government was thinking about doubling the capacity of the existing water treatment plant to meet the demand. Ashraf also said the government had plans to address the problem of water stagnation in the city.
In reply to a question by ruling party lawmaker Harunur Rashid, the minister said Dhaka WASA was not supplying polluted water.
Asharf, in reply to a question of AL lawmaker Jobeda Khatun, said rickshaw fare had increased unusually in recent times and steps were taken to find out the reason for the increase in rickshaw fare.
In reply to a question of AL lawmaker Mostaque Ahmed Ruhi, the state minister for youth and sports, Ahad Ali Sarkar, said the government had initiated a temporary job policy for youths to engage them in ‘nation-building activities’ and a pilot project had been initiated in Barguna and Kurigram under the scheme.
In reply to a question of AL lawmaker Muhibur Rahman Manik, he said the government had no plans to set up any cricket academy at the moment.
In reply to a question of ruling party lawmaker Begum Shahin Monowara Huq, Ahad said the government had no plans to set up any institute or structure for the recreation of street children.

Courtesy of NewAgebd