Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday issued a rule against the Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA), Engineer Taqsem A Khan, for not complying with the court order to prevent pollution of the Buriganga River.
In the ruling, the court asked Taqsem A Khan to explain in two weeks as to why the punitive measures should not be taken against him on charge of contempt of the court for not complying with the court order.
The High Court bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The court also ordered the authorities of the two city corporations of Dhaka to take proper steps to stop dumping of wastages and rubbish on the bank of the Buriganga River within 30 days and submit a progress report in the court after 30 days.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the petition, advocate Umme Salma appeared for Dhaka WASA and
advocate Amatul Karim stood for the Department of Environment.
WASA MD Taqsem A Khan earlier submitted a report, saying that there were no sewerage lines connected with the Buriganga and there is no pollution. But BIWTA in a report said that there were 68 sewerage lines connected with the river, in which WASA owns 58 lines.
The same High Court bench on December 2, 2019, came down heavily on WASA authority for not complying with its 2011 directive over sealing all sewerage lines with Buriganga River and for making an untrue statement about sewerage lines connected with the river.
The Dhaka WASA is responsible to control all the underground drainage system in Dhaka city, but it wanted to avoid the responsibility by saying that the Dhaka city corporations are supposed to control the drainage system, the HC said, adding that it will not accept any negligence in discharging duties.
Besides, WASA MD Taqsem A Khan on that day offered an unconditional apology to the HC bench for making an untrue statement about sewerage lines connected with the Buriganga.
Writ petitioner’s lawyer Manzill Murshid told the court that the WASA could have sealed the sources of wastes connected with Buriganga River as a part of implanting its 2011 directives, but it did not do that. He prayed to the HC bench to issue a contempt of court rule against WASA’s MD for not complying with the directive.
Following the same writ petition, the HC on June 1, 2011, had directed the government to seal all sewerage lines to the Buriganga within the next year.
The court had also directed the authorities concerned to stop dumping waste into the river and declared their inaction in preventing water pollution illegal. The authorities were directed to clean up the river and move all sources of pollution from there.
The High Court on Thursday issued a rule against the Managing Director of Dhaka Water Supply & Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA), Engineer Taqsem A Khan, for not complying with the court order to prevent pollution of the Buriganga River.
In the ruling, the court asked Taqsem A Khan to explain in two weeks as to why the punitive measures should not be taken against him on charge of contempt of the court for not complying with the court order.
The High Court bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
The court also ordered the authorities of the two city corporations of Dhaka to take proper steps to stop dumping of wastages and rubbish on the bank of the Buriganga River within 30 days and submit a progress report in the court after 30 days.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared in the court on behalf of the petition, advocate Umme Salma appeared for Dhaka WASA and
advocate Amatul Karim stood for the Department of Environment.
WASA MD Taqsem A Khan earlier submitted a report, saying that there were no sewerage lines connected with the Buriganga and there is no pollution. But BIWTA in a report said that there were 68 sewerage lines connected with the river, in which WASA owns 58 lines.
The same High Court bench on December 2, 2019, came down heavily on WASA authority for not complying with its 2011 directive over sealing all sewerage lines with Buriganga River and for making an untrue statement about sewerage lines connected with the river.
The Dhaka WASA is responsible to control all the underground drainage system in Dhaka city, but it wanted to avoid the responsibility by saying that the Dhaka city corporations are supposed to control the drainage system, the HC said, adding that it will not accept any negligence in discharging duties.
Besides, WASA MD Taqsem A Khan on that day offered an unconditional apology to the HC bench for making an untrue statement about sewerage lines connected with the Buriganga.
Writ petitioner’s lawyer Manzill Murshid told the court that the WASA could have sealed the sources of wastes connected with Buriganga River as a part of implanting its 2011 directives, but it did not do that. He prayed to the HC bench to issue a contempt of court rule against WASA’s MD for not complying with the directive.
Following the same writ petition, the HC on June 1, 2011, had directed the government to seal all sewerage lines to the Buriganga within the next year.
The court had also directed the authorities concerned to stop dumping waste into the river and declared their inaction in preventing water pollution illegal. The authorities were directed to clean up the river and move all sources of pollution from there.
