Buriganga waste remains despite High Court order

Large piles of polythene, plastic bottles, packets and other waste remain scattered along the Buriganga River in Islampur, with no visible cleanup activity nine days after the High Court ordered authorities to remove the waste within 15 days.

A spot visit to Islampur under Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations on Thursday found plastic and other solid waste piled up along different stretches of the riverbank. Plastic waste was also seen floating in the river at some points.

The High Court on September 2 directed the removal of plastic and all other waste accumulated along the Buriganga riverbank in the Islampur, Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar areas within 15 days.

A bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahamud also directed the authorities concerned to submit a progress report on implementation of the order within four weeks.

The court tasked the director general of the Department of Environment, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Dhaka deputy commissioner, and officers-in-charge of Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations with ensuring the removal of the waste.

However, Thursday’s spot inspection found no visible initiative to clear the riverbank, with large quantities of plastic and other garbage still lying in place.

Local residents alleged that pollution was continuing, with waste and wastewater from several plastic factories being discharged onto the riverbank.

“There has been no significant change here despite the court order. Plastic waste is still lying around as before, and waste is being dumped on the riverbank from different places,” an Islampur resident said, requesting anonymity.

The latest court order came against the backdrop of earlier efforts to curb pollution of the Buriganga. In 2010, the High Court issued several directives to stop pollution of the river, including an order to prevent the dumping of plastic and other waste along its banks.

A recent report by a national daily highlighted the large amount of plastic waste lying along the Islampur riverbank. Following the report, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a petition with the High Court seeking directives over the pollution.

After hearing the petition, the court set the fresh 15-day deadline for removal of the accumulated waste.
The deadline has not yet expired. But nine days after the order, Thursday’s inspection found little visible difference in the condition of the riverbank.