Save the rivers: Encroachment, pollution rampant

At least five crore square feet of land on two sides of the river Turag is under possession of government or non-government establishments, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) sources said.
BAPA with Bangladesh River Protection Movement jointly conducted a survey from Amin Bazar Bridge point to Faidabad at Uttara before releasing its findings of rampant river pollution and encroachment.
BAPA secretary general Dr. A. Matin giving a gloomy picture of the rivers raised demands for saving the country’s rivers including Buriganga, Balu, Shitalakhya and Turag from encroachment and pollution.
The demands also included eviction of permanent and temporary establishments from both sides of the rivers, stop dumping of wastes there and placement of demarcation pillars at right places.
He said that they have identified 109 points of Turag river , where pollution and encroachment was rampant. Of the 109 points, he said, 77 are at Mirpur, Ashulia and Uttara while 32 at Savar, Joydevpur and Tongi.
Matin said Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Bangladesh Water Development Board and some industries release untreated sewer and industrial and municipal wastes into the river. The local administration, he said, had installed a total of 2,000 pillars for demarcation of the Turag river following a High Court directive but only 29 pillars were installed correctly. Most other pillars, he said, were inside the river. He said during a recent visit it was found that many of the pillars were either invisible due to encroachment or broken or had disappeared.
The authorities had removed sand stocked in the river Turag during a mobile court drive to reclaim the river from encroachers in line with the High Court order in January, 2013. The authorities also demolished some illegal structures in their drive at Sinnirtek in the city’s Mirpur Beribandh area to implement the High Court order at that time , it should be recalled.
The High Court had asked 14 officials and agencies concerned to protect the banks of the river near Sinnirtek area and a portion of the river Sitalakhya in Narayanganj from encroachment and pollution through eviction of all illegal establishments on the banks. The relevant authorities conducted such drives thrice since 2010, it should be recalled.
Some sand traders talking to the media said that they run their business with the blessings of a section of police and influential local political quarters. The High Court had ordered the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to protect four rivers from encroachment and pollution through eviction of all illegal establishments identifying their banks.
 Drives against illegal establishments following media campaign usually do not effectively solve the problems of encroachment or pollution as there is nexus between those in the illegal business and a section of the administration.
During a visit to some of the areas on the banks of the Sitalakhya, Turag and Buriganga it was found encroachment and pollution continues. It is time that the matter is taken with all seriousness to find a permanent solution to the problem of encroachment and river pollution, it is felt.