DoE slaps fine on RHD for Ctg hill cutting to collect earth
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
FE Report
The Department of Environment (DoE) Tuesday asked the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to pay Tk 1.0 million in fines for cutting a hill in Mirersorai in Chittagong by a Chinese company for earth filling work of Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane Highway. Officials said the DoE fined the government agency, the executing agency of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project, for allowing a Chinese company to cut the hill 'in collusion with the local people' without taking clearance from the department. They said Sinohydro, who won the majority portion of the highway's four- lane construction work, has also been asked to cancel all contracts which it signed to collect a huge volume of earth on its part in order to turn 150 kilometres of the two-lane road into a into four-lane one. "We have been asked to pay the fines for damaging the environment as the Chinese company works under the Roads and Highways Department," said the highway project director in-charge Jawed Alam. He said the department will look into the matter and take necessary steps. A communications ministry official, however, said the DoE summoned the Chinese company upon complaint from the power department authorities for toppling a tower situated atop the hill. He said the RHD has already fixed the tower. The three companies which are working on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway project have been in a dilemma to meet the demand for nearly 10 million cubic feet of earth for the 195-kilometre highway. They have been earlier asked to submit a proposal to DoE as to from where they would collect the soil.
The Department of Environment (DoE) Tuesday asked the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) to pay Tk 1.0 million in fines for cutting a hill in Mirersorai in Chittagong by a Chinese company for earth filling work of Dhaka-Chittagong 4-lane Highway. Officials said the DoE fined the government agency, the executing agency of the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane project, for allowing a Chinese company to cut the hill 'in collusion with the local people' without taking clearance from the department. They said Sinohydro, who won the majority portion of the highway's four- lane construction work, has also been asked to cancel all contracts which it signed to collect a huge volume of earth on its part in order to turn 150 kilometres of the two-lane road into a into four-lane one. "We have been asked to pay the fines for damaging the environment as the Chinese company works under the Roads and Highways Department," said the highway project director in-charge Jawed Alam. He said the department will look into the matter and take necessary steps. A communications ministry official, however, said the DoE summoned the Chinese company upon complaint from the power department authorities for toppling a tower situated atop the hill. He said the RHD has already fixed the tower. The three companies which are working on the Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane highway project have been in a dilemma to meet the demand for nearly 10 million cubic feet of earth for the 195-kilometre highway. They have been earlier asked to submit a proposal to DoE as to from where they would collect the soil.