BELA legal notice seeks action-plan

A legal notice was sent to the government bodies concerned on Monday, demanding formulation of a time-bound action-plan for ensuring pollution-free status of 54 rivers across the country.
Lawyer S Hasanul Banna sent the notice on behalf of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).
The secretaries to the ministries of environment, industries, shipping, land, fisheries and livestock, water resources, agriculture, finance, public administration, and local government, chairman of the National River Protection Commission, inspector general of police, director general of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, director general of the Department of Environment, and chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority were asked to comply with the notice within 10 days.
The respondents would have to face legal consequences, if they fail to comply with the notice in 10 days.
The BELA notice also demanded identifying the pollution sources of the rivers, preparing a complete list of the polluters, and taking necessary steps for prevention of the pollution.
It sought bringing the polluters under the law, handing down appropriate punishment to them, and realising compensation from them.
The notice also demanded the authorities concerned to declare the highly-polluted and lifeless rivers as ecologically critical, and to maintain the rivers accordingly.
The rivers are - the Buriganga, Brahmaputra, Shitalakshya, Turag, Daleshwary, Meghna, Balu, Arial Khan, Moynakata, Bil Padma, Kirtinasha, Suti, Paruli, Chilai, Kaliganga, Padma, Banar, Louhajang, and Bangshi of Dhaka division.
The list also included the Jamuna, Korotoa, Gonga, Atrai, Narod, Ichhamoti of Rajshahi division, Tista, and Kharkharia of Rangpur division, Khiru of Mymensingh division, and Karnaphuli, Halda, Bil Dakatia, and Titas of Chattogram division.
It further added the Mayur, Bhairav, Rupsha, Mathabhanga, Pashur, Kakshiyali, Gorai, Modhumoti, and Kumar of Khulna division as well as Kirtonkhola, Sugandha, Lohalia, Tetulia, Khakdona, and Shib Baria of Barishal division, and Surma, Kushiyara, Sutang, Sonai, Korangi, Barak, and Dolai of Sylhet division.

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