River pillar work to start by end-April

The authorities will start setting up boundary pillars along the four rivers around the capital by the end of April, and the eviction drive against river grabbers will be slowed down till then.
And the river grabbers will be sued under the wetland conservation act for the time being, and under the environment act after it is amended.
The government-formed taskforce on river recovery took these decisions at its fifth meeting yesterday, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan told journalists later.
The minister, who heads the high-powered task force, chaired the meeting held at his ministry.
Meanwhile, as per the High Court directives, the government is supposed to evict river grabbers, set up boundary pillars and go for afforestation along the banks of the rivers Buriganga, Balu, Turag and Shitalakhya around the capital, and other rivers in the country.
The shipping ministry will start the process of floating tender for procurement of the pillars within next month.
On October 15 last year, the task force at its first meeting decided to launch an all-out eviction drive against river grabbing around the capital within seven to 10 days.
Hasan Mahmud, state minister for environment and forests, said yesterday, “We have already undertaken programmes for afforestation and building walkway along the river banks.”
Replying to a question, Shahjahan Khan said his ministry would place a list of river grabbers at the next meeting of the task force to be held in Chittagong.
The task force meeting yesterday formed a five-member committee headed by the chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority to find out proper ways of disposal of the huge waste removed from the Buriganga river bed, instead of dumping it here and there.
The committee is supposed to submit its report within this week.
The shipping ministry launched the Buriganga cleaning drive on January 6.
Hasan Mahmud mentioned that the drive is not being conducted properly but the government intends to go on with it.
The task force decided to stop any encroachment on the rivers.
The HC on June 25 last year issued directives on the government to save rivers around the capital from encroachment and pollution.
The 27-member taskforce was formed to evict river grabbers, ensure navigability and natural flow of rivers, restore river system and save it from pollution and conserve environment in the country.
Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira, Environment Secretary Mihir Kanti Majumder and Shipping Secretary Md Abdul Mannan Howlader, who are members of the task force, attended its meeting yesterday.

Courtesy of The Daily Star