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]]>BIWTA takes down illegal building, walls
A Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) team in a drive yesterday knocked down a building and six boundary walls and
detained nine workers from seven dredgers and a sand carrying vessel in the Turag river.
Dhaka district Magistrate Abu Sayeed of the team also seized six sections of a pipe, approximately 100 metres in length, used in pumping out sand from rivers and auctioned off a pile of sand for Tk one lakh.
The second day’s drive of the two-day campaign was carried out along a 15-kilometre stretch from Sinnirtek to Ashulia to free the river from grabbers.
The team was led by BIWTA Director (port) Md Shafiqul Haque and Magistrate Sayeed and comprised a tugboat Agropathik, workboat Argroz and 60 workers.
The building and boundary walls were constructed by illegally filling up the river and the pipe was seized for being used to illegally extract sand from the river, said Turag and Ashulia police station sources.
The sand pile was auctioned off as the owner had illegally deposited it on the shore of the Turag while the workers were detained for illegally extracting sand from the river. The workers were released without any case being filed, added the sources.
Newly appointed BIWTA Chairman Dr Md Shamsuddoha Khandakar earlier said he would make rivers around the capital free from pollution and encroachment within a year.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Not a single ferry ticket now available at counters appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>With Eid-ul-Fitr knocking at the door, not a single ferry ticket is available for the southern parts of the country. All tickets were sold out even
before the scheduled booking date. Sources alleged that most of these tickets have ended up in the hands of an illegal travel syndicate that aims to sell them later at
a premium.
According to sources in the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Association (BIWTA), private launch services will start selling advance cabin tickets from August 10,
while the state-run Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) will start the sale on Wednesday. The decision was taken at a meeting on August 6 in the
presence of law enforcers, launch owners and the shipping secretary.
But when The Independent visited the Sadarghat terminal on Wednesday, supervisors of vessels bound for the Sundarbans, Suravi, Kirtonkhola, Achol, Agrodut plus and
Parabat areas on the Dhaka-Barisal-Vandaria route, told The Independent that all advance cabin tickets for Eid were sold out last week.
When asked, Mahbub Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carriers) Association (BIWA), said: “Although the tickets were to be
sold from August 10, it doesn’t mean that we can’t do it before the scheduled date. The sooner it ends, the better it is for us.”
The BIWA chairman’s comment only reflects the wayward manner in which the entire ticket management of the ferry network is being handled.
Saidur Rahman, a lecturer of Jagannath University, on Wednesday tried to buy a ticket from the ferry reservation counter. “I knew that private launches will start
selling tickets from August 10. But on Wednesday I was told that all tickets were sold out last week. I feel helpless,” he said.
Some people alleged that private launch owners would sell the tickets on the black market to fleece the common people just ahead of Eid.
“This has become a permanent feature every year, owing to the irresponsibility of government officials and law enforcement agencies,” said Hasibul Haque, a student of
Dhaka College.
When asked, Shahab Uddin Milon, vice-chairman of the BIWA, told The Independent: “Selling cabin tickets on the black market is rather difficult, as we’ve only 2,500
cabins in launches, whereas the demand is for 10,000 cabins before Eid.”
He said the maximum number of cabins usually get booked at least two months in advance, and that the names are officially entered into the register after declaring a
date for selling the rest of the tickets. “This practice has been going on for the past ten years,” he added. The Independent spoke to some launch officials in a bid
to acquire tickets for a “sold-out” vessel. Harun-or-Rashid, a crew of Surovi-7, said a ticket for a single cabin can be arranged at Tk. 1,200, while a ticket for
double cabins would require Tk. 2,500. The regular rates are Tk. 950 and Tk. 1,900, respectively.
Saiful Haque Khan, senior deputy director of the BIWTA (Traffic) at the Sadarght terminal, told The Independent: “I can’t do anything about the ferry tickets. It is
completely up to launch owners. We’re appointing extra police personnel from August 16 to ensure the security of passengers.”
-With The Independent input
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]]>The post Dredging gone hibernating appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Gross negligence in conducting timely dredging to keep the ferry channels in the Padma navigable has led to the disruption of ferry services between Mawa and Paturia, causing sufferings to thousands of people.
Officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), which operates the ferry service, said they had repeatedly warned Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in the recent past about rapid loss of navigability of the Padma and the Jamuna, but nothing was done timely to dredge and keep the ferry channels fit for service.
“As soon as a shoal appeared in the channel (Mawa-Paturia) we wrote to the dredging department (of BIWTA) on August 16 urging them to take urgent measures to remove it by dredging,” said MA Matin, BIWTC deputy general manager (commerce) at Paturia ferry terminal.
BIWTA started dredging when it was too late. It put in place three dredgers before the Eid-ul-Fitr (Aug31) but did not start dredging the channel before September 6 for mysterious reasons. By then the Padma waters started to recede with the current too fierce to keep the dredger and the spoil pipes stable on the channel, BIWTC officials said.
The navigational routes between Mawa and Char Janajat were blocked over a strip of 1,000 metres at Hazra point and Naodoba point.
The officials mentioned that the crisis at the two very important ferry terminals has occurred due to “utter negligence” of BIWTA’s dredging department. On an average, the department spends around Tk 25 crore a year to keep the channels navigable. It also hires private dredgers for a fee of Tk 100 for dredging every one cubic metre of silt from the riverbeds.
According to sources in the dredging department, it is during such emergencies that freshly injected funds for dredging expenses go unaccounted for.
“The situation is rapidly deteriorating with the water receding in the rivers,” said Md Mosharraf Hossain Howlader, BIWTC general manager (commerce), hinting that ferry services might be disrupted again.
But BIWTA Chairman Abdul Maleque Miah told The Daily Star that BIWTC deliberately stopped operation of ferries without any valid ground whatsoever. “We measured the depth of the particular channels and found those navigable. There is no reason why BIWTC officials should have stopped the services that caused huge economic losses as well as suffering to thousands of people,” he said.
Every year, when water starts to recede, shoals appear very rapidly. BIWTA has now deployed three dredgers at Paturia and two at Mawa to keep the channel navigable.
According to the chief engineer of central zone of Water Development Board (WDB), Humayun Kabir, the Jamuna and the Padma bring down billions of cubic metres of sediment from upstream. The Jamuna is one of those rivers in the world known to have quick silt deposition. Within hours, shoals may form on its bed.
Officials at Mawa and Paturia ferry terminals also blamed the natural conditions changing the course of the Padma. Water started receding much faster this year than it did last year. They said the dredging department with ultra modern equipment could have easily predicted the problem long ago and solved it.
Contacted, Mohammad Abul Bashar, WDB sub-divisional engineer, confirmed that water level of the Padma at Bhagyakul was 5.40 metres yesterday against 6.54 metres on the same day (September 12) last year. At Aricha point, the water level was 8.7 metres yesterday against 9.36 metres on the same day last year.
A former BIWTA official told this correspondent that the whole operation of dredging goes without any planning or coordination with BIWTC officials.
“The dredging operation is mainly for crisis management without any planning or monitoring. It is only during this sort of emergencies that misappropriation of lot of funds is reported,” he said on condition of anonymity.
Asked, BIWTA Chief Engineer (dredging) Abdul Matin said the fierce current in the Jamuna and the Padma is hampering dredging work.
“The problem arises at a place where the channel is only a few hundred metres wide, and to dredge this part we have to restrict two-way movement of traffic,” he said.
On an average, up to 5,500 vehicles are ferried every day across the two rivers. BIWTC earns about Tk 2.5 crore a week from the ferry services, according to its General Manager (accounts) Mujibur Rahman.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Launch journey gets riskier appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Rundown highways have increased safety risk for water transport passengers too, as the number of people using riverine routes for Eid travel may shoot up this year, increasing the chance of overloading of vessels.
Around 10 to 12 lakh people leave Dhaka in the seven days before Eid by launches through Sadarghat, the biggest launch terminal sending vessels out to over 50 destinations in the southern parts of the country every year.
This year the number is likely to shoot up. With the rivers full to the brim with monsoon water, the size of crowds at the terminal for launch tickets has increased as buses are unable to operate at some places and taking too long to reach destinations due to rundown condition of roads.
Sadarghat launch terminal is now full of newly painted vessels waiting to overload as usual up to double or triple their capacities to transport homebound passengers. Some of those are not even fit at all, said some launch repair workers who did not want to be identified.
Authorities of at least 50 faulty vessels received notices for repair in the last one month, said Shadat Hossain, a vessel surveyor of the Department of Shipping, claiming of increased vigilance ahead of Eid.
“Engines and hulls of many were faulty. I already issued notices to those for stopping operations until made fit,” Shadat said.
Shipping department sources said MV Koko-2, Tipu-1, MV Panama, MV Mitali-2, Shuvoraj-2, Rajhangsha, Red Sun-2, Suresshor-2, MV New Sun, Dipraj-2 and MV Saikat-9 are among the faulty vessels which were served notices.
In reality, many of the faulty vessels had hurried patch-up jobs and new coats of paint instead of thorough repair before they queued at the passenger terminal for trips, according to the repair workers.
Launch owners operate unfit launches in collusion with officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and the shipping department (DOS) abusing the Inland Shipping Ordinance (ISO)-1976, said a terminal source.
The ordinance allows a ship surveyor to issue a “token approval for operation” for 45 days to a launch without an inspection, during which time the vessel has to be repaired.
“Availing the opportunity, some faulty vessels keep on operating for years without repair and get into accidents,” said a source.
MV Bipasha that sank in Brahmanbaria on April 21, ML Nurussunnah that sank on December 3 last year in Kishoreganj, and MV Prince which sank in Patuakhali on April 15 in 2005 all operated using token approvals over and over again.
In previous years, many unfit and unregistered vessels operated ahead of Eid, many causing serious accidents.
A report of Safe Waterway Implementation Movement, a non-government organisation, published last year says capsizal of such overloaded faulty vessels killed over 6,000 passengers in 535 accidents in the last two decades.
BIWTA officials said a vessel can carry 800 to 1,500 passengers on an average. During Eid, each vessel carries two and half to three times of the capacity.
Talking about monitoring, shipping department’s Shadat Hossain expressed his helplessness.
“People don’t care whether the vessels are overloaded or not. We can fine a launch authority, but can’t force the passengers to get off a launch, because that might create a confrontational situation,” he said.
Another shipping department source said if they suspend a vessel’s operation, the owner goes to BIWTA and gets trip schedule nonetheless through “managing” some officials, moor the faulty vessel at the terminal and load passengers. “Once passengers are loaded on a vessel, we can’t do much in fear of a clash,” he said.
Forty to 50 vessels operate everyday from Dhaka to different destinations, the number goes up to 110 to 120 during the last three days before Eid, said a BIWTA official.
Normally, a launch plies once in every three or four days due to a rotation system. But during Eid periods, the launches ply non-stop increasing the number of trips, he added.
Over 20,000 unregistered passenger and cargo vessels ply different routes across the country, a DOS source said.
Over 6,500 are registered with the department, DOS Chief Engineer AKM Fakhrul Islam said.
“We will deploy additional police force and coast guard members ahead of Eid to check plying of unfit vessels and to stop overloading,” said Commodore Jobair Ahmad, DOS director general.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post Tickets home remain elusive appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>“The Independent” as a passenger visited launch and steamer terminal for an advanced ticket but no launches could give a single ticket to the correspondent saying that all Dhaka to Barisal tickets are selling from Barisal Ticket Counter. When asked, Sundarban-7 Launch Supervisor Hanif said, “I called the Barisal Ticket counter telephone number for a ticket and if they confirm to us then we will give you a ticket”.
The correspondent dialed the ticket counter telephone number but counter-man Md. Jasim said, “If you have no reference of high officials then we are sorry to say that their is no ticket available to travel on our launch on the upcoming Eid”. The correspondent also tries on Suravi, Kirtonkhola and Parabat Launch for the tickets but everywhere the result was same.
About the launch tickets, Mahadi-Ul-Morshed, a resident of Luxmibazar area said that, “I know I will not got the launch tickets as it is only available for those who have power but I just came to the terminal for a try”.
Bikrom Chakrabarti, a student of Jagannath University said, “In a festival, advanced tickets are seems to be golden deer for us as only those people got the tickets who are lucky”.
Meanwhile, violating the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan warns the launches have increased their travel fair on the upcoming Eid. The price of single cabin is now Tk 800 to 900 which was Tk 600 till August 20, the double cabin is now Tk 1600 which was Tk 1100, the Sofa is now Tk 450 which was available at Tk 300, the VIP cabin is now Tk 3000 to Tk 3500, which was available at Tk 2000.
While asked, Survai Launch Supervisor Sunil Sarker said they are charging the travel fee as per government rate but he failed to answer why they have taken the previous rate till August 20 in exchange of government rate.
After all of this, thousands of people are visiting the terminal everyday for want of a ticket but only those people have it those who are lucky. “This kinds of incidents happen before every big festivals but no one take any action against it and stands alone with us to have a safe and smooth journey. Will it never changed in our country”, said Fahmida Lucky, a resident of Shambazar area who was on the terminal on Friday.
Asked about it, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Senior Assistant Director Md Ali Siddique said that, “As per I know the tickets are selling on government rate and no tickets are selling out on the black market. The ticket selling system is depending on Launch owner as it is their service”. But, when the correspondent visited all launch for a tickets, some pier workers came to him and said the tickets may be arranged but in case of that, the single cabin will be charged Tk 1400 while the double cabin is Tk 2500.
While asked about the security system, Sadarghat Police booth Sub-Inspector Imran Hossain said, “Extra forces and RAB officials will be placed at the terminal within couple of days to ensure tight security around the area”. There are still two weeks to go for Eid but tickets for all vessels are sold out for the general people, leaving thousands passengers aside, to travel back to their home.
Asked about it, senior vice-chairman of BIWTA (Passenger Carriers) Launch Owners Association, Md. Badiuzzaman Badal said that, additional launches are ready to serve the passengers. “We’ll provide those vessels if passenger demand is high enough to sustain such trips,” he said. “It’ll be a little tough to ensure smooth travel,” said Badal, “But we’ll try our very best.”
Courtesy of The Independent
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]]>The post Grabbers defy all appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
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Filling of the river Shitalakkhya at Kanchpur in Narayanganj continues under the very nose of district and police administrations despite a High Court order to stop the encroachment.The foreshores and a major portion of riverbed have been filled with earth, narrowing down the river almost to its half, to do trade of construction materials illegally.
Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Md Shamsur Rahman said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the district administration have filed around a dozen cases against the illegal sand traders and river grabbers.
“Police have not yet taken action against the offenders,” he said, “I talked to the police superintend several times but to no avail.”
Also, BIWTA wrote to Narayanganj sadar, Siddhirganj, Rupganj, Sonargaon, Demra and port police stations at least twelve times since January 2009 to lodge cases against the unauthorised traders and stop further encroachment.
Kanchpur is under Siddhirganj Police Station.
Its OC Qamrul Alam Mollah, however, said, “I have neither received a complaint nor am I aware of such encroachment into the river.”
Port authorities on May 16 wrote to the Siddhirganj OC for filing case specifically against seven encroachers identified as Shajahan Prodhan, Nuruzzaman, Shahidullah, Jahangir Hossain, MH Monir, Khokon Devnath and Based Mian.
Despite repeated attempts over the phone, none of the traders was available for their versions.
Narayanganj SP Shaikh Nazmul Alam said he was unaware of the issue as he took over just a month back. “I will look into why police have not taken action.”
In June 2009, the HC ordered eviction of all illegal structures and stop to the earth-filling along the Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Turag and Balu rivers, with the police as respondents.
It also directed the officers-in-charge concerned to be vigilant against river encroachment.
Meanwhile, authorities have identified around 60 unauthorised traders destroying the river at Shimrail, Anti and other moujas.
They unload bulkhead vessels carrying sand, earth, boulders and other materials filling up river foreshores and bed. A number of politically-blessed local thugs control the whole affair, said sources.
During a recent visit to the site, the river’s navigable channel was found chocked with earth-filling.
Narayanganj river port officials of BIWTA requested the deputy commissioner four times for mobile court operation against the encroachers.
But the DC said there was no “strong” law to effectively use mobile courts against river grabbers.
However, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, said the mobile court could be conducted even under Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to check encroachment.
The port officials a year back requested higher authorities of BIWTA for dredging of the river and construction of retaining walls at Kanchpur site. But nothing has been done yet.
BIWTA Director (port) Mahbubul Alam said, “I made a verbal proposal in this regard.”
BIWTA and district administration jointly conducted eviction drives at the site at least ten times since 2006 till last October and excavated some of the filled-up places.
They removed 525 illegal structures during March 2010 and January this year.
But the encroachers soon came back and filled up the river at Kanchpur, Shimrail, Anti, Joka, Siddhirganj and Ruposhi moujas.
And the river lost navigability.
Records show there are at least 138 earth-filled areas along the Shitalakkhya.
Some 65 traders were permitted by BIWTA to do business on the Shitalakkhya foreshores at Kanchpur. But their licences have not been renewed, said Mahbubul Alam of BIWTA.
Though the Shitalakkhya along with Buriganga, Balu and Turag were declared ecologically critical, environment department has yet to take action against the encroachers.
Munir Chowdhury, director (enforcement) of Department of Environment, said he would soon conduct eviction drive at the site.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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