Chattogam Bureau :
Chittagong River and Canal Protection Movement has demanded protection of the area from Anu Majhir Ghat of Karnafuli River to Haldar estuary and eviction of illegal occupants.
Leaders of the Chittagong River and Canal Protection Movement made the demand at a press conference on a boat on the Karnafuli River on Monday (January 3).
At that time, the speakers said, some parts of the Karnafuli river are more than half full. If the illegal establishment of Karnafuli is not evicted within 15 days as per the directions of the court, the matter will be informed to the High Court.
Chowdhury Farid, president of the Chittagong River and Canal Protection Movement, told a news conference that the river was flowing under the Karnafuli Shah Amanat Bridge in the upper part of the fish market in a survey titled ‘Master Plan for Chittagong Port’ jointly conducted by BS Khatian and Asian Development Bank and Chittagong Port Authority in 2014.. Due to the development of fish market, the current flow of the river in that part is only 410 meters. The middle pillar of the river on the north side of Shah Amanat Bridge has been filled up. More than half of the river under the bridge is filled up, causing strong currents in the three pillars of the bridge. That is why there is a fear of collapse on the south side of Shah Amanat Bridge.
Aliur Rahman, general secretary of the Chittagong River and Canal Protection Movement, said the Karnafuli River was being filled and occupied due to negligence of the Chittagong Port Authority, Deputy Commissioner and Chittagong Development Authority. Last October, the deputy commissioner announced to start the eviction of illegal structures on the Karnafuli river within a month. But the eviction activities have not started till today. Therefore, the High Court will be informed about the disobedience of the order of the High Court by the government agency.
According to the press conference, in a survey titled ‘Master Plan for Chittagong Port’ conducted in 2014 by the joint venture of Asian Development Bank and Chittagong Port Authority, the flow of Karnafuli river at the mouth of Chaktai canal was 938 meters. At the mouth of the Rajakhali canal it was 694 meters. Shah Amanat was 6 meters below the bridge.
