Reclaiming rivers and water bodies
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Land grabbing, particularly encroachment of rivers and water bodies, has earned a mafia-type notoriety. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 3 made a chilling disclosure. She said one of her cabinet colleagues was receiving threat for his efforts to protect the rivers, water bodies and playground in the capital city. One wonders why the government cannot take action and bring to book the people who dare to issue threats against a minister.
The government has, however, undertaken a proactive policy towards reclaiming rivers and water bodies from the land grabbers and encroachers, dredging them, cleaning them of pollutants and, above all, protecting them on a permanent basis. Though it is a nationwide programme, the focus is on the rivers and water bodies around the capital city. The government has rightly prioritised the Buriganga, Sitalakkhya, Turag and Balu rivers. It is also urgently looking into the problem of reclaiming the canals which once used to criss-cross the capital city.
To begin with, the shipping minister inaugurated on January 06 a three-month project to clean one-kilometre of Buriganga river amid much fanfare. But, it seems the authorities concerned are yet to take a professional approach to their job at hand. As they are scooping up maunds of polythene bags and sludge from the river bed, they are yet to decide where to dump these waste and how to recycle the waste. Worse still, they have not devised any means to stop dumping garbage or releasing effluent from sewers and industries in the river, while the clean-up operation is on or will be completed. So, the clean-up operation and polluting the river are going on side by side!
The will of the government will be tested when it will come into clash with entrenched interest as it undertakes the task of reclaiming the rivers and water bodies from the land grabbers and encroachers. Past governments, under public pressure, made attempts on occasions to reclaim the rivers and water bodies. There were some instances of success; but, these were temporary successes. Once government's interests waned, grabbing and encroachment were resumed, as it were, with a vengeance.
It seems the present government has learnt some lessons from past mistakes and failures. The high-powered Taskforce Committee to save the rivers decided in its first meeting, held on January 7, that boundary pillars would be set up on the riverbanks to demarcate the original area of rivers in and around the capital by March 15. The deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Munshiganj have been instructed to execute the work in time. The Taskforce has also decided to restore 13 canals in the capital.
The government in its task of reclaiming the rivers and water bodies and stopping future encroachment of the rivers and water bodies will be greatly helped by some brilliant examples of judicial activism. For example, in response to a public interest litigation, the High court Division of the Supreme Court directed the deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Gazipur to carry out survey on the Buriganga, Sitalakkhya, Balu and Dhaleswari rivers. The deputy commissioners, as directed, have completed the survey and the reports are now with the High Court. The survey reports specifically mention cases of encroachment of the rivers by powerful people, industries and business establishments -- and, surprisingly, by government agencies, too. Justice should begin at home, and the government should, first, evict the government agencies from the illegally occupied areas of the Buriganga and Sitalakkhya and other rivers.
The government has, however, undertaken a proactive policy towards reclaiming rivers and water bodies from the land grabbers and encroachers, dredging them, cleaning them of pollutants and, above all, protecting them on a permanent basis. Though it is a nationwide programme, the focus is on the rivers and water bodies around the capital city. The government has rightly prioritised the Buriganga, Sitalakkhya, Turag and Balu rivers. It is also urgently looking into the problem of reclaiming the canals which once used to criss-cross the capital city.
To begin with, the shipping minister inaugurated on January 06 a three-month project to clean one-kilometre of Buriganga river amid much fanfare. But, it seems the authorities concerned are yet to take a professional approach to their job at hand. As they are scooping up maunds of polythene bags and sludge from the river bed, they are yet to decide where to dump these waste and how to recycle the waste. Worse still, they have not devised any means to stop dumping garbage or releasing effluent from sewers and industries in the river, while the clean-up operation is on or will be completed. So, the clean-up operation and polluting the river are going on side by side!
The will of the government will be tested when it will come into clash with entrenched interest as it undertakes the task of reclaiming the rivers and water bodies from the land grabbers and encroachers. Past governments, under public pressure, made attempts on occasions to reclaim the rivers and water bodies. There were some instances of success; but, these were temporary successes. Once government's interests waned, grabbing and encroachment were resumed, as it were, with a vengeance.
It seems the present government has learnt some lessons from past mistakes and failures. The high-powered Taskforce Committee to save the rivers decided in its first meeting, held on January 7, that boundary pillars would be set up on the riverbanks to demarcate the original area of rivers in and around the capital by March 15. The deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Gazipur and Munshiganj have been instructed to execute the work in time. The Taskforce has also decided to restore 13 canals in the capital.
The government in its task of reclaiming the rivers and water bodies and stopping future encroachment of the rivers and water bodies will be greatly helped by some brilliant examples of judicial activism. For example, in response to a public interest litigation, the High court Division of the Supreme Court directed the deputy commissioners of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Gazipur to carry out survey on the Buriganga, Sitalakkhya, Balu and Dhaleswari rivers. The deputy commissioners, as directed, have completed the survey and the reports are now with the High Court. The survey reports specifically mention cases of encroachment of the rivers by powerful people, industries and business establishments -- and, surprisingly, by government agencies, too. Justice should begin at home, and the government should, first, evict the government agencies from the illegally occupied areas of the Buriganga and Sitalakkhya and other rivers.