NRCC yet to publish the list of encroachers

Kamruzzaman Bablu :
The National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) yet to publish the list of 57,000 new encroachers of 48 rivers.
Though the commission is hope to publish the list of river encroachers and establishments anytime soon even after spending about Tk 30 crore on protection of 48 rivers over the past five years under a project.
The commission attributes the delay to cross-checking the lists by the Water Development Board, deputy commissioners’ offices concerned and the Department of Environment that prepared the rolls.
The Project Director Ekramul Huq handed over the lists to the NRCC in December 2022, insiders said.
Current Chairman of the commission Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury took charge of this post on Feb 22,2022.
Allegation had it that official of the river commission removed the list from its website after taking charge of the existing chairman. It has been alleged that Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury is busy protecting the encroachers rather than protecting river. Because relatives and influential who put him (Chairman) in this position are all river grabber. That is why new chairman wants to hide these invaders and for this reason, the list of river grabbers prepared by the District Commissioners is being revised or canceled.
Former Chairman of River Conservation Commission Mujibur Rahman Howladar made such a complaint at a workshop organised by Waterkeepers Bangladesh at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) recently.
Mujibur Rahman Howladar said that the list of river grabbers has been prepared by the commission in a scientific way and in accordance with the laws of the country.
But the chairman wants to cancel many grabbers from the list in the name of revaluation without publishing the list.
Mr Howladar also said that many members of parliament, upazila chairman and influential leaders are occupying the river. The present chairman is revising the list of them to exclude their names.
The former chairman of the commission also said that science and research are not needed to understand the encroachment and pollution of rivers in the country. It can be understood even if you walk along the river.
The real reason for revising the list will come out after taking into account the assets of those who are being entrusted with the task of verifying the list of river grabbers. The task of the River Conservation Commission was to initiate the eviction of encroachers already identified. Manjur is abusing his power after becoming the chairman, added Mujibur Rahman Howladar.
But new Chairman of NRCC Manjur Ahmed Chowdhury denied these allegations.
He said that the list was created following the Water Act-2013 and the Port Act-1908, but not by following the British-era cadastral survey popularly known as CS map.
In its directive in 2009, the High Court asked the government to follow the CS and the RS records while carrying out demarcation of four rivers surrounding the capital.
‘We did not publish the list and there is no question of removing it from our website. We have sent the list separately to the DC offices concerned, the Water Development Board and the Department of Environment for cross-check,’ Manjur told The New Nation on Thursday.
He admitted that the project had flaws and the officials involved in the project did not work properly. ‘We sent the lists to the departments concerned three months back, and the latest one was sent about 15 days ago,’ said the Chairman.
‘We cannot publish an incomplete list before having them cross-checked by the authorities concerned.’