Reza Mahmud :
A section of dishonest people start their unholy activities again for encroaching the river Buriganga besides the capital Dhaka.
The grabbers used to apply the same tricks likes past of dumping huge garbage, household wastes and solid wastes beside the river bank aiming to fill the lowland and establish small or medium installations.
On Friday, it has been found that a little canal near Shyambazar wholesale kitchen market has been filled by huge rubbish including, solid garbage, household wastes, bundle of torn cloths, papers and factory wastes.
Vast lands of the river bank of the areas have been filled by such wastes.
The similar things have been found in the river bank in the Kamrangir char areas.
People besides, both the areas said that a section of influential persons are behind the river bank fillings activities aimed to grab the land.
They said, at primary stage, the encroachers used to fill the lowlands of the river bank in their targeted places with garbage and then establish makeshift shops.
Gradually, they used to construct buildings for making their encroachment permanent basis.
Citizens living beside the river bank, businessmen and members of civil society are constantly hammering the government to be strict for keeping the Buriganga free from grabbing and pollution.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) frequently conducts eviction drive against the grabbers.
But, after months, the grabbers start their unholy activities taking chance of inactions of the authority.
In last December, the BIWTA has evicted vast lands of Buriganga in its drive.
The authority removed several illegal structures set up by influential persons on land grabbed along the river Buriganga in Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar, Imamganj, Sowarighat and adjacent areas.
Experts said, the authority could not remove all illegal structures on the river due to certain court restraints.
As a result the grabbers become courageous to encroach lands of river frequently.
The water of the river could not get free from polluting due to grabbing as the grabbers used to through huge wastes in to the river to fill it.
Experts and local people living near the river, said once they have used to swim and take bath in the Buriganga river but the polluting water drive the people away from the bank of the river now.
Their children failed to learn swimming due to the polluting condition of the river.
When contacted, Sheikh Rokon, Secretary General of Riverine People told The New Nation, “The government tried lots to make the river free from pollution. As part of the effort the Tannery industries has been transferred from the river bank of Hazaribagh to Savar. But a section of dishonest persons continuously are polluting the river dumping enormous rubbish in to the river aiming to fill the bank and grab it.”
He asked the authority to take stern action against the encroachers and make the river free from grabbing and polluting. Commodore Golam Sadeq, Chairman of BIWTA could not be reached while trying to get his comment on this regard.
