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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 rivers of Dhaka are destined to remain narrow as the shipping ministry has expressed its inability to fully rectify the faulty demarcation of the streams despite a High Court order and subsequent ministerial decision.An extensive visit revealed that relevant district administrations and officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had demarcated the Turag, Balu and Buriganga rivers, leaving out the foreshores at many places.
As a result, land grabbers have embarked on massive river filling, cashing in on the foreshore exclusion at Sinnirtek, Amin Bazar and from Mirpur embankment to Ashulia along the Buriganga.
Shipping minister Shajahan Khan, who leads the national taskforce on river conservation, in reply to a question after a taskforce meeting on August 1 said the authorities had relocated most of the wrongly placed pillars along the Turag River.
“But we could not reclaim all the foreshores, as we had to give them up in many cases due to various reasons,” he said, adding, “We have requested the land ministry to take legal action against those responsible for the exclusion of the foreshores.”
The foreshore is the part of the shore between the lowest water level in the dry season and the highest level of water during the monsoon.
Shipping Secretary Abdul Mannan Howlader said, “We have repeatedly informed the land ministry of the anomaly in river demarcation, as it is the one to take legal action in this regard.
The national taskforce has no authority to compel a ministry to act, he said.
Sources said a section of unscrupulous officials had facilitated exclusion of foreshores during the demarcation in exchange for money.
One example of the gross destruction of the Balu is marking off a land-filling on a shoal in the middle of the river near Ichhapur Bridge as “private land”. The land has a boundary with pillars set up in an extremely irregular alignment.
River grabbing has also been going on at different locations, including one near Kamarpara Bridge along the Ashulia-Tongi embankment link road of the Turag.
The relevant authorities, however, have been silent about the earth-filling on such low-lying land, although the wetland conservation law prohibits such filling-up even on private land.
The district administrations of Dhaka and Gazipur along with the BIWTA have drawn the boundary line of the Turag, Balu and Buriganga during the dry season, excluding foreshore land in violation of a High Court order.
In 2009, the HC directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) concerned to demarcate the rivers as per Cadastral Survey (CS) and Revised Survey (RS), retaining the eroded areas and shoals and in order to protect them with pillars, walkways and plantations.
Now, with most of the foreshores left out, the government has to earth-fill into the rivers for walkways and trees, narrowing down the rivers further, said a BIWTA official.
They have neither followed the CS or RS records accordingly nor the definition of river, as outlined in the river port laws, said a BIWTA deputy director, who has worked extensively on the issue, wishing anonymity.
“They have only attempted to establish the lean water flow in the dry season as a river conveniently accommodating the anomalous leases and grabbing of foreshore lands,” he said.
Following reports on faulty demarcation, the government in May last year formed a committee headed by state minister for land Mostafizur Rahman. Subsequently the committee visited the Turag and Balu rivers.
It decided that the district administration along with BIWTA and directorate of land records had to resurvey and reset the pillars to demarcate the foreshores during monsoon high tide (August-September).
Rafiqul Islam, Dhaka river port officer, however, said they had relocated the pillars from Ashulia to Tongi in the right places.
When it was pointed out that pillars were still well into the river at many places, including in the Balu near Ichhapur Bridge, he said, “It may seem so to you, but it is actually not.”
Md Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Gazipur, said they had realigned the pillars along an 18-kilometre stretch but could not reclaim foreshore in all the cases.
“We tried to include foreshore with the river as much as possible. We hardly found land free as much as it should be,” he said, “I cannot readily say how foreshores were leased out to private individuals.”
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), said excluding the foreshores in the process of saving rivers was a deviation of the HC order, as it would further shrink the rivers.
As per Land Management Manual, the district administration had no authority to lease out river foreshores, which is khas land, she said.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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]]>The Department of Environment yesterday fined him Tk 39 lakh for emptying his factory’s untreated waste into the Turag.
The DoE also directed him not to operate the factory until his effluent treatment plant (ETP) functioned fully.
Acting on a tip-off, a DoE team conducted a drive at the factory, Angel Composite and Knitting Industries, at 6:00am and found that the factory’s ETP was switched off, which is a violation of law.
The team led by DoE Director Munir Chowdhury instantly collected samples of the water discharged from the factory and found its oxygen level to be zero.
Giasuddin later came to the DoE and claimed his factory had never switched off the ETP.
He also claimed that one of his sons was a member of the Greenpeace International, a global body that campaigns to protect and conserve the environment.
According to DoE, the factory dyes five tonnes of clothes every day and so far has discharged 1,25,000 cubic metres of waste water into the Turag.
Giasuddin could not be reached for his comments despite repeated attempts at his office phone number as well as a local and a Spanish cellphone numbers.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>Maulana Jobaerul Hasan from Delhi, a member of the Tabligh Jamaat advisory committee and son of Maulana Enamul Hasan, a former amir of the World Tabligh Jamaat, conducted the Akheri Munajat that began about 01:04pm and continued for 18 minutes. Jobaer sought divine blessings for the Muslims who are being oppressed in different parts of the world.
The first phase of the Ijtema was held on January 13-15 and the second phase began on January 20. Devotees from 32 districts of the country took part in the second phase and those from the 32 other districts had joined the first phase of Tabligh Jamaat, said to be the second largest congregation of the Muslims after Hajj.
Several lakh devotees including women from different parts of the country joined the final prayers arriving to the venue on foot as vehicular movement on Dhaka-Mymenshing Highway was halted since Saturday midnight.
The bank of river Turag, the venue of Bishwa Ijtema, an annual event for the last four decades, turned into a vast sea of humanity spilling over to adjoining areas and roads.
Many people joined the prayer from roof tops of vehicles and boats and from nearby residences.
All roads led to Tongi since early morning and people on to
the venue and neighboring areas in endless stream. They used all
modes of transport to reach the venue of the prayer. Thousands made it on foot.
During the three days of Ijtema, Islamic thinkers and Tablig Jamaat leaders delivered sermons on Iman (faith in Allah), Akhlaq (manners), Practice and Dawat (invitation for Tablig). The sermons were delivered in different languages including English, Bengali, Malaya, Tamil, French, Hindi and Urdu.
A total of three devotees died on the venue due to heart failure
during the second phase till Sunday. With this, a total of 14 devotees died during the two phases of Ijtema this year. The devotees were identified as Alhaj Abdus Samad, 62, of Iswardi of Pabna, Keramat Ali, 75, of Gazipur, and Abdul Aziz of Jhalakhati district.
After the Akheri Munajat, people started leaving the venue for home by all modes of transport and thronged at the bus and railway stations and river ghats.
Bangladesh Railway arranged special trains yesterday on Dhaka-Tongi, Tongi-Mymensingh and Tongi-Bhairab lines. Besides, all inter-city trains stopped at Tongi station.
-With New Age input
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]]>Renowned Islamic scholar Moulana Jubayerul Hasan from India conducted the akheri munajat that began at 12:35 pm and ended at 12:54 pm.
The massive gathering of lakhs of devotees further swelled yesterday with thousands more from the capital and some 32 districts of the country rushing to Tongi in buses, trucks, trains and other vehicles to join the concluding prayers of the congregation. Many others walked for miles to take part in the prayers.
This is for the second consecutive year the Ijtema is being held in two phases, each for three days. The second phase will begin on January 20.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition in parliament Khaleda Zia, ministers and political leaders joined the prayers.
The huge crowd spilled over to the roads and areas adjoining the Ijtema venue yesterday as the munajat began.
A large number of women devotees from different parts of the country also took part in the prayers
Thousands of people joined the munajat by raising their hands from the rooftops and terraces of nearby houses, roads and open fields. Many of them called their acquaintances at the venue on cell phones to hear the prayers.
Vehicular movement towards the venue was stopped early this morning. Many devotees walked around 10 to 15 km to reach the area. Others stopped on the adjoining Dhaka-Mymensingh, Tongi- Kaliganj and Abdullahpur-Ashulia roads and joined the munajat from there.
Security was tightened at the venue. Helicopters, speedboats, and pickup vans were pressed into service in the area to avoid any untoward incidents. Around 12,000 security personnel were deployed for security.
Fire service vehicles and ambulances were on hand for any emergencies.
Alea Begum, 45, came to Tongi from Comilla at 7:00 am yesterday with her sister as she could not join the congregation earlier.
Others who arrived late Sunday rented nearby shops and houses to spend the night.
“We six came from Khilgaon late Saturday and stayed in a shop near Abdullahpur road near the Ijtema venue. We paid Tk 60 per head for one night,” 45-year old Fatema Begum told this correspondent.
FREE FOODS
After the prayers, devotees started leaving the Ijtema venue. They had to walk as there were no vehicles within about km around the venue. Rickshaws and rickshaw vans were however available.
Some social organisations distributed dry food, water and cold drinks among the devotees returning home.20
11 DIE IN THREE DAYS
At least 11 people died of cardiac arrest and old age complications during the three-day congregation.
Of them, one died on Saturday night and one early yesterday.
They were identified as Keramat Ali, 75, of Gazipur and Abdul Aziz of Jhalkathi.
Identity of the others could not be known.
-With The Daily Star input
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The three-day-long first phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims, will conclude today through offering Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) on the banks of the Turag.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees from home and abroad will pray for spiritual progress, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim community.
The concluding prayers are likely to start anytime between 11:30am and 1:00pm.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia and many more dignitaries are expected to join the concluding prayers.
Road traffic on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Abdullahpur-Ashulia road will remain suspended from morning till the end of the prayers.
Braving bitter chill and transport crisis, thousands of devotees thronged the Ijtema ground in Tongi yesterday.
The day started with a sermon from Pakistani religious scholar Mohammad Ehsan just after the Fazr prayers. It was followed by lectures from Indian scholar Zobayerul Hasan and a number of Bangladeshi scholars throughout the day.
Following the tradition of the gathering, a dowry-free mass wedding took place at the venue.
Hundreds of devotees were seen staying under the open sky just laying mats on the ground.
“I am suffering especially due to the cold spell. But it doesn’t bother me as I think I would be lucky if I die here,” said 70-year-old Kamaluddin Miah, who came from Sylhet to seek divine blessings.
Many were cooking meals in stoves beside their makeshift tents, while some others took flattened and puffed rice to avoid the hassle of cooking.
Devotees waited in long queues at different temporary medial camps set up on the Ijtema ground.
“Most of them are coming to us with cold-related complaints. We are giving them first aid. If we find anybody with serious illness, we refer him to Tongi Hospital,” said Adam Ali, a medical service provider.
Meanwhile, Abdul Majid, 65, of Barisal died of cardiac arrest at the Ijtema venue yesterday morning, raising the death toll to eight.
Stringent security measures have been put in place in and around the venue. About 12,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure safety of the devotees.
Besides, hundreds of volunteers are working round the clock to make sure the event runs smoothly.
Devotees from 32 districts and over 15,000 foreigners are attending the first phase of the Ijtema. The second phase is scheduled for January 20-22.
Tablighi Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation in Tongi since 1946.
-With The Daily Star input
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Prayers and sermons marked the first day of Biswa Ijtema — one of the largest congregations of Muslims — as it opened on the banks of the river Turag at Tongi yesterday morning.Six participants died of cardiac arrest and old age complications on Thursday night and early yesterday, organisers said, as the Ijtema opened after Fajr prayers.
Lakhs of devotees from home and abroad are attending the congregation being held in two phases. The banks of Turag — 20 km from the capital — turned into a sea of humans as they assembled for Jumm’a prayers at noon.
Maulana Qwari Zobayer, Imam of Kakrail mosque, led the prayers.
The first phase of Ijtema will conclude with the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) on Sunday. The second phase will be held from January 20 to 22.
Tablig Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation, also called the World Muslims’ Congregation, every year since 1946.
The three-day meet includes delivery of sermons on fundamental matters of Tablig, prayers for spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah, recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith.
Ulema and Islamic scholars from around the world are delivering lectures this year. They will be interpreted to Bangla, English, Arabic and a few other languages.
Devotees from 32 districts of the country are attending the first phase alongside over 15,000 visitors from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Mali, Madagaskar, Cambodia, the US, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Japan, Australia, Brunei and other countries.
Meanwhile, thousands of volunteers are working round the clock to ensure that the event runs smoothly. Security is high and around 12,000 personnel from different security agencies are posted at the venue.
Observation towers have been set up to monitor movement at the venue and close-circuit television cameras are being used at the 17 entrances.
Special measures have been taken to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity during the event.
FREE MEDICAL CAMP
Around 50 free medical camps have been set up by Rab, Bangladesh Medical Association, Shawadhinata Chikitsha Parishad, Reneta Limited, Ayurbedi Farmeci Dhaka Limited, Bangladesh Imam Samiti Tangi, Ibne-Sina and Farma Vision, Hamdard and Bangladesh Iurbedi Unani Medical Society among others to cater to the visitors.
BUSINESS
As every other year, commerce is thriving around the event.
Md Ershadul, from Kurigram, said he earns about Tk 10,000 to 20,00 each ijtema by selling mats here.
Mamun Islam and Md Sohel, two class-IV students of Pagar Government Primary School at Tongi are selling old paper at Tk 1.00 a piece.
“I have come here to sell water pots,” said Rafiqul Islam, an unemployed resident of Tongi.
Other items being sold at the venue include caps, food items and prayer beads.
MOBILE COURT
Three mobile courts yesterday fined shop and restaurant owners a total of Tk 34,000 for selling adulterated food at the venue. They also filed 18 cases against them.
THE SIX DEVOTEES
The six devotees who died were identified as Habibur Rahman, 65, of Sirajganj, Nazibullah, 55, of Chittagong, Mostafa, 66, of Feni, Ratan Sarkar, 55 of Madaripur, Abdul Gafur Khan, 55 of Habiganj and Alimuddin Sarkar, 60 of Kushtia.
-With The Daily Star input
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]]>The post No water yet for Buriganga, Turag from Jamuna river appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Sunil Baran Debroy, project director, said it would be necessary to minimise project costs without altering its range of benefits. The project costs may escalate to about Tk. 1,300 crore, he added. The project was taken up to bring life back to the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitlakkhya rivers by diverting water from the Jamuna.
According to BWDB sources, work is going on to remove earth from the 20-km-long Dhaleswari river bed in Tangail. The work will be completed by 2013.
The project work would start from Joker Char at Kalihati upazila in Tangail, just down the Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge. However, the project would not be completed before 2015 owing to delay in disbursement of funds, lack of adequate dredgers and non-participation of bidders in the tender process, sources said.
Debroy said they would be able to start dredging of about 28.90 km on the Pungli river in Tangail from the last week of December. The government has allocated Tk. 166.61 crore for dredging the Pungli river, and another proposal to dredge a stretch of 26.45 km of the Pungli river has been sent to the cabinet purchase committee for approval, he added.
“We’ve started dredging work in the Turag river near Ashulia, as part of the project, at a cost of Tk 24.76 crore,” Debroy told The Independent. “Dredging work on a stretch of 6.5 km of the Turag is being implemented in two phases. As much as 57 per cent of the dredging work has been completed on the first three km, and only seven per cent on the remaining stretch,” he added.
“The rainy season is not suitable for dredging. The increased depth of water in the river hampers dredging during this period,” he explained. At least 35 dredgers will be needed to dredge a 73-km stretch of the Pungli and Turag, Debroy said. He added that the BWDB has only 18 dredgers.
“We want to infuse a new life into the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and the Shitalakkhya by diverting fresh waters from the Jamuna,” the BWDB chief engineer said. About 7.11 crore cubic metres of earth will be have to be removed from the 162-km-long waterways of the project. A total of 5.53 crore cubic metres of earth will be removed manually and 1.57 crore cubic metres would be cleaned through dredging.
Debroy said the Jamuna waters would be brought to the Turag and Buriganga through the New Dhaleshwari river in Tangail as well as the Pungli and Bangshi rivers. “It will improve the quality of water and increase the flow of water in the Buriganga and Turag during the dry season. Besides, it will also increase the depth of these rivers,” he added. Successful implementation of the project will help develop irrigation facilities, fisheries, reduce water filtration costs and put a check on encroachment of rivers.
-With The Independent input
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]]>The post Pollution of rivers around Dhaka appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.
]]>Mohammad Tareq Hasan
With a population of over 15 million Dhaka is one of the most congested cities of the world. This rapidly growing city is located on the northern bank of the river Buriganga and surrounded by other rivers, namely, the Turag to the west, the Tongi Khal to the north and the Balu to the east. The rivers surrounding Dhaka are an advantage to it and essential for the survival of the mega city as these provide drainage system, drinking water, different kinds of fishes and also waterways for traveling. However, being the capital of Bangladesh — one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world — the city has been developed haphazardly without considering its physical and social diminution. As a result, the environmental consequences originating from rapid increase of population along with the increase of polluting effluents from industries, and municipal as well as other waste are having profound negative impacts on rivers around Dhaka city. In turn, the polluted waters of the rivers are posing increasing threats to the living organisms including humans residing by the rivers.Around Dhaka, river water has altered from its natural state in terms of physical, chemical and microbiological composition and lost its suitability for any safe and beneficial use. The signs of contamination have become obvious through bad taste, offensive odours, unchecked growth of aquatic weeds, and decrease in the number of aquatic animals, floating of oil and grease, colouration of water and so on. Generally, rivers surrounding Dhaka are being polluted by the discharge of untreated industrial effluent, urban wastewater, agrochemicals, sewage water, storm runoff, solid waste dumping, oil spillage, sedimentation and also encroachment.
Over the last couple of decades major industrialisation has been observed in Dhaka, especially in dyeing, washing and textiles sectors. Estimation reveals that there are over 7,000 industries in Dhaka metropolitan area located mostly in three clusters, namely, Hazaribagh, Tejgaon, and Dhaka- Narayanganj- Demra dam area (Roy, 2009). However, among all these the dyeing factories and tanneries are the main polluters of the rivers. Waste from these industries is usually connected to the sewerage system that directly follows to the rivers around the city. As a matter of fact, the rivers have become a dumping ground of all kinds of solid, liquid and other chemical waste.
Dhaka city has been growing without much of plan and the city lacks systematic waste management system as well. Dhaka generates around 0.4 to 0.7 kilograms of solid waste per capita per day but the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), the main agency responsible for collection, transportation and disposal of the waste cannot manage the task properly with its existing limited logistics. The per capita waste collected in Dhaka per day is 0.2 kilograms (Islam & Rahman, 2002). The waste which is not managed by the DCC is dumped into the rivers by the people living near the river banks.
The rivers, which perform the task of natural drainage for the city are also being polluted as rain water sweeps into them all the waste dumped here and there of the city. Furthermore, liquid waste produced in the city is being poured in the rivers untreated. Of the discharged untreated liquid waste, 61 percent is industrial and 39 percent domestic (Roy, 2009). However, the lone Sewerage Treatment Plant (SWP) situated in Pagla of Narayanganj can treat only 10 percent of the industrial waste. Moreover, Dhaka WASA utilizes the existing canals and sewerage pipes to collect waste water from different residential areas and depose, most of it, into surrounding rivers without any treatment. Apart from domestic and industrial waste, oil and other chemicals which are spilled into the rivers from launches, steamers, and trawlers are also polluting river water. Besides in Dhaka contamination of water is occurring from human excreta as well, as 70 percent of the population of the city does not have access to improved sanitation facilities (Islam & Rahman, 2002).
Encroachment on rivers is a common practice in Bangladesh. Most of the natural drainages of Dhaka City disappeared or are in way to due to illegal encroachment. Encroachment on the rivers through unauthorized construction and dumping of solid waste in clearence of regulations to prevent encroachment making it difficult to drain out the runoff and the pollutants i.e., added particles remaining in the rivers keep polluting the environment (Tawhid, 2004).
Polluted water of Buriganga, Turag, Dhaleshwari, Balu, and Narai flowing around the greater Dhaka city is posing serious threats to public life as it is unfit for human use (Institute for Environment and Development Studies, 2003). People living near the rivers, having no other alternative, are forced to use polluted river water. Some also use the water because they are unaware of the health risks. This causes spread of water borne and skin diseases. Solid waste and different effluents dumped into the rivers make it difficult for fishes and other sub-aquatic organisms to live. When solid waste and effluents run into the river, the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the water rises, creating oxygen crisis for the sub aqueous life. As the dissolved oxygen (DO) content of the river water is decreased below the critical level of four milligrams per liter it is posing threats to bio-diversity in and around the rivers.
Pollution is so severe in the Buriganga, Shitalakhya and Balu rivers that it is almost impossible to treat the water for making it suitable for human use. The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is supplying stinky water purified by chlorine and ammonia sulfate. Moreover, due to river encroachment and dumping of solid waste into the rivers the rivers are loosing their natural flow. Thus, the waterways are shrinking and the alternative way of communication around Dhaka city through rivers turned unsuccessful.
Like many other countries of the world, river pollution in Bangladesh is a burning issue. Abundant research has been carried out and many recommendations have been forwarded to protect the rivers from pollution. At the government level since the last quarter of the past century several rules, regulations, policies and strategies have been formulated to save the rivers from pollution. But the implementation and enforcement of the policies and the regulations have so far been very ineffective, leading to poorer river water quality and further pollution. In addition, in many cases the policies and strategies are seemingly far from being practical in terms of implementation. Therefore, a proactive approach instead of a reactive approach might provide a practical and sustainable solution to the problem. In this regard, provisions of monetary incentives, rewards and recognitions for the polluters who reduce pollution may work effectively. The direct involvement of community and civil society in protecting rivers can also play a great role.
Over the years the government agencies conducted drives against the polluters; however, yielded small success these. Meanwhile, the polluters continued polluting the rivers. Thus, to overcome these problems community people from all level should be encouraged to take part in taking care of the environment. Encouraging debate regarding priorities and developing local strategies, e.g. through workshops involving experts and mass people would produce a people centric action plan. Actions at the individual as well as household level and community level reducing resource consumption and waste production, cleaning up the urban environment and organizing information sharing campaigns would better protect the rivers around Dhaka.
(Article originally published on The Daily Star) Image credit: Anisur Rahman
The writer is an anthropologist and can be reached at e-mail: tareqhasan99@yahoo.com
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An NGO team in a visit yesterday found grabbers have been filling the whole Atir Khal (canal) and its adjoining vast wetlands in Basila of the city.The team of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) also found Dumini canal in Khilkhet is being filled and narrowed at many points for different housing projects.
Bapa general secretary Abdul Matin led the team during its visit to the two canals and the river Turag from 10:00am to 2:00pm to inspect the water bodies’ present condition.
The team discovered Atir Khal is almost dead due to unabated earth filling that has been going on in violation of wetland and open space protection act 2000.
Bapa team later inspected the Turag river from Amin Bazar to Tongi Bridge and found a vast portions of the river in Amin Bazar have been encroached by sand traders.
The bridges from Amin Bazar to Tongi except Amin Bazar Bridge were also found too low, which will hinder movement of water transports in the circular waterway.
The encroachment as well as dumping industrial waste was going on at different points of the Turag narrowing the river and polluted it severely, according to Bapa.
Bapa team’s visit to Dumini canal disclosed that the canal has been as narrow as a drain at different points, as it was filled with earth for different housing projects unceasingly.
Upon the visits, Bapa yesterday held a news conference at Civil Engineering Building in the city to demand protecting of the three water bodies against land grabbers.
The environment organisation also demanded that the height of the bridges from Amin Bazar to Tongi on the Turag River be raised for smooth movement of water transports.
The Bapa team was constituted of its joint secretaries JK Boral, Sharif Jamil, and Alamgir Kabir, Prof Shahidul Islam of Dhaka University, and Ifma Hossain of Piece.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
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