Illegal housing by real estate and developer groups in the Sylhet city and on its outskirts has put the city environment at stake.
Housing estates are being developed through encroaching on croplands, water bodies, canals, forestlands and hillocks in the city and its neighbouring areas by a dishonest quarter out to make quick money.
Thanks to the indifference of the authorities concerned, most of the companies have kept expanding their housing projects in the city through grabbing lands owned by the government or its different entities like the railway department and the forest department, city dwellers have alleged.
It is surprising that only one out of a total 57 real estate and developer companies, enrolled with the Sylhet Apartment and Real Estate Groups, have so far taken clearance certificate from the Department of Environment, sources in the divisional environment department said.
These companies have been continuing with their activities in the region for decades.
Among them, only Ark Real Estate has permission of the environment department to run their operation in this regard, while another group Royal City has applied for the clearance certificate.
‘The rests have not even applied for permission of the department,’ said a DoE official, seeking anonymity.
The divisional coordinator of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association, Shah Sahida Aktar, however, claimed that none of the real estate companies was running their activities in Sylhet in a legal way.
‘The only company, which has taken permission from the environment department, is not also operating legally as it develops its project through filling up a marshland in the city in defiance of the housing law,’ she added.
As par the statistics available with the BELA divisional office, there were more than 300 hillocks besides a large number of marshlands, canals, small and large ponds in the city and its adjoining area.
But, 80 per cent of the marshlands and water bodies have already been filled up, while the earth of more than 70 per cent hillocks have also been removed in the past two decades by the housing companies, the statistics said.
Sylhet Apartment and Real Estate Groups general secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel said the association members seriously keep in mind the environmental issues before developing plans for housing projects.
‘But, most of the companies do not have permission of the environment department because of the complicated and lengthy official process,’ Nadel said.
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology civil and environment engineering professor Akhtarul Islam said unbridled hill cutting, filling up of water bodies and felling of trees have already started putting adverse effects on the ecological balance in the urban areas.
‘The citizens have to face a dangerous situation in the near future if the current trend of unplanned housing was not checked without any further delay,’ Akhtarul Islam said.
The divisional environment department deputy director, SM Fazlul Haque, told New Age that they could hardly maintain their regular supervision over the activities of the housing and developer companies because of workforce constraint.
‘Concerted efforts of the local administration, city corporation and environment department are needed to maintain the ecological balance and stop unauthorised housing in the city,’ he added.
newagebd
-With New Age input
