The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) taskforce disconnected utility connections of 13 buildings in Old Dhaka on Sunday for illegally storing chemicals and other flammable items in residential areas.
Several teams of the taskforce conducted the drive at RMD Road of Lalbag Kellarmore, Aga Sadeq Road and Ali Asgar Road.
Under the drive utility connections like water, power and gas supplies were disconnected at the buildings bearing the holding numbers 27, 29/2 and 31/B of Ali Asgar Road under Ward-28. Drives were also conducted at 2/3 RMD Road of Lalbag Kellarmor, and at the holdings 9/1, 85, 26/9, 26/10 and 26/11 of Aga Sadek Road.
Chief health officer of DSCC Brigadier General Sharif Ahmed and magistrate of Dhaka district administration Aminul Islam led the drive.
The DSCC taskforce, as per the Prime Minister's directives, has been conducting the drive since Thursday and snapping utility connections of the houses, where chemicals and flammable items have been stored.
The drive has been carried out to hasten the relocation of illegal godowns to somewhere else outside the capital following the recent deadly fire incident at Churihatta of Chawkbazar that had claimed a total of 71 lives on February 20.
The taskforce has so far disconnected utility connections of a total of 47 holdings since the drive started.
If the owners of the houses shift the stored chemicals and other flammable items to other places from Old Dhaka, the authorities concerned will reinstate their utility connections. The drive will continue until April 1, said officials.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told the media at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday that the drive against illegal chemical godowns in Old Dhaka would continue.
He said the government would provide all necessary support to the DSCC for efforts to relocate the godowns of chemicals and other flammable goods to somewhere else from the residential areas in the capital.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com