Freeing the life-saving rivers
Thursday, 13 May 2010
THE rivers that flow through and past Dhaka city are vitally important for its residents. These rivers have lost their significance for fishing long ago from their awfully polluted conditions. The rivers, however, still have considerable importance as a medium of transportation for both people and cargoes. The greatest loss over the years is noted in the area of the environment. Once a notable feature of the salubrious environment of the city with clean waters and idyllic landscapes on their sides, the rivers now look like apparitions of their past selves. The narrowed down width from all sorts of unauthorised structures now give only brook-like appearances to these once well flowing rivers. From unabated encroachments, experts feared the total or near total disappearance of the Balu, Turag and Buringaga rivers in Dhaka.
Hopes flickered brightly last year from high-level decision in the government, followed by energetic drives, to demolish all kinds of unauthorised structures on river bodies in and around Dhaka. For some time, the coordinated activities of the authorities produced the impression as if the banks of the rivers were about to be freed from the occupation on a sustainable basis. But the drive grinded to a halt as a number of companies filed writ petitions in the High Court challenging the government's action. This brought to a halt the demolition drive for nearly a year as the case was heard and acted upon by the High Court. To the big relief of everybody, the High Court in delivering judgment after about a year turned down the plea of the petitioners and upheld the government's position in respect of continuing the drive. But the affected ones resorted to a further delaying tactic of appealing to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision. The Appellate Division recently gave its verdict on the issue and upheld the earlier decision of the High Court.
This development is indeed an inspirational one as it clears the deck completely for the governmental authorities to move against the encroachers with no restraints whatsoever. While the legal battle was going on, even the freed areas on the banks were encroached afresh by the same or other offenders with a shocking sense of impunity.
With all legal obstacles removed, the authorities now need to show their determination to complete the job by moving hard and fast to clear the banks of the three rivers from end to end. There would be now no excuse for the government to drag their feet any further on this project that started off with a bang and for which there exists so much of public support.The opportunity needs to be seized and exploited at the fastest. The need of the hour is the creation of a separate official body to watch over all aspects of the demolition drive and, more importantly, to quickly implement the plans on freeing the spaces on the sides of the rivers. This body will have to be supported vigorously by all relevant ministries and departments of the government and made logistically and financially strong to take up the various developmental projects.
Hopes flickered brightly last year from high-level decision in the government, followed by energetic drives, to demolish all kinds of unauthorised structures on river bodies in and around Dhaka. For some time, the coordinated activities of the authorities produced the impression as if the banks of the rivers were about to be freed from the occupation on a sustainable basis. But the drive grinded to a halt as a number of companies filed writ petitions in the High Court challenging the government's action. This brought to a halt the demolition drive for nearly a year as the case was heard and acted upon by the High Court. To the big relief of everybody, the High Court in delivering judgment after about a year turned down the plea of the petitioners and upheld the government's position in respect of continuing the drive. But the affected ones resorted to a further delaying tactic of appealing to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the High Court's decision. The Appellate Division recently gave its verdict on the issue and upheld the earlier decision of the High Court.
This development is indeed an inspirational one as it clears the deck completely for the governmental authorities to move against the encroachers with no restraints whatsoever. While the legal battle was going on, even the freed areas on the banks were encroached afresh by the same or other offenders with a shocking sense of impunity.
With all legal obstacles removed, the authorities now need to show their determination to complete the job by moving hard and fast to clear the banks of the three rivers from end to end. There would be now no excuse for the government to drag their feet any further on this project that started off with a bang and for which there exists so much of public support.The opportunity needs to be seized and exploited at the fastest. The need of the hour is the creation of a separate official body to watch over all aspects of the demolition drive and, more importantly, to quickly implement the plans on freeing the spaces on the sides of the rivers. This body will have to be supported vigorously by all relevant ministries and departments of the government and made logistically and financially strong to take up the various developmental projects.