Chittagong Bureau :
The Office of Prime Minister has taken step to save river Karnaphuli, the lifeline of country’s economy recently.
The office has formed a high- powered committee headed by the Minister for Public Works and Housing Engineer Mosharraf Hossain MP to prepare a master plan to save the Karnaphuli on December 15. The committee was asked to prepare a master plan to save the river Karnaphuli within next three months and the government will take action as per the master plan, sources said.
According to the sources, the rest members of the high powered committee are : Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan MP, Chief of Bangladesh Navy, Mayors of Dhaka and Chittagong City Corpora-tions, Chief Secretary of the office of Prime Minster, secretaries of Fisheries and Live Stock Ministry, Home Ministry, Environment and Forest Ministry, Shipping Ministry and Divisional Commissioners of Dhaka and Chittagong.
A Director General of the office of Prime Minster will work as member secretary of the committee. The committee will also include the river experts from home and abroad to prepare a master plan to save the Karnaphuli. According to sources in district administration, 2,181 illegal occupiers set up their illegal establishments on 158.45 acres of lands of both sides of river Karnaphuli. There are 2112 occupiers at Bakolia and East Patenga area as per BD survey record while there are also 60 illegal occupiers at Gosaildenga, Monohorkhali and Feringi Bazar Mouja area. The cost of grabbed land of 158.45 acres on both sides of river Katnaphuli is more than taka 2,370 crore.
Sources said, the high court directed to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli. The bench of the Justice Mohammad Rezaul Hasan and Justice Kshefa Hossain in an order on October 16 directed to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli. But, the illegal establishments are yet to be evicted by the authorities concerned. Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Shamsul Arefin said, “We have a plan to evict all illegal establishments from both banks of the Karnaphuli. We need huge budget and planning in this regard. We will conduct eviction drives against the 2,181 illegal occupiers who grabbed the lands of both sides of river Katnaphuli after discussion with other concerned authorities.”
Sources also said, on August 16 last, the high court bench also directed to issue notice to the concerned persons including 2,181 illegal occupiers by giving 90 days time from the receiving the direction of the high court.
Bench of the Justice Mohammed Rejaul Hasan and Justice Kshefa Hossain directed to secretary of Chittagong Development Authority, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chittagong to publish notice on news papers and issued notice to the concerned to the concerned persons to shift the illegal establishments and after receiving the direction of high court within 90 days.
If the concerned persons or owners of the said 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli will fail to shift their establishment within the notice period, the government authorities have to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli within seven days of the notice period, court sources said.
Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, said, both banks and newly created sands of Karnaphuli, are being illegally occupied by the land grabbers. The authorities concerned of the government should take steps to save the river area from the land grabbers. The Director General of the Department of Environment Rois Ul Alam said, “There are 133 industries situated on the banks of river Karnaphuli. The industries are rampantly discharging the wastages into the water of Karnaphuli causing severe pollution of the water of the Karnaphuli.”
Rois Ul Alam said, there are ETP in only 123 industries only in papers. But, actually the ETPs are not working. 10 industries have no ETP which were closed.
“The TSP Fertilizer Company, MAC paper Mill and many other industries are discharging wastages into the water of river Karnaphuli violating the rules and law. The ETPs of all industries should be renovated to be workable,” Rois Ul Alam said. Chief Hydrographer of Chittagong Port Authority Commander Monjur said, there were 40 canals in Chittagong. Of these, 12 died while many of these were occupied by land grabbers. There is hardly any mud under 12 feet of Karnaphuli, but hype of polythene.
The Office of Prime Minister has taken step to save river Karnaphuli, the lifeline of country’s economy recently.
The office has formed a high- powered committee headed by the Minister for Public Works and Housing Engineer Mosharraf Hossain MP to prepare a master plan to save the Karnaphuli on December 15. The committee was asked to prepare a master plan to save the river Karnaphuli within next three months and the government will take action as per the master plan, sources said.
According to the sources, the rest members of the high powered committee are : Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan MP, Chief of Bangladesh Navy, Mayors of Dhaka and Chittagong City Corpora-tions, Chief Secretary of the office of Prime Minster, secretaries of Fisheries and Live Stock Ministry, Home Ministry, Environment and Forest Ministry, Shipping Ministry and Divisional Commissioners of Dhaka and Chittagong.
A Director General of the office of Prime Minster will work as member secretary of the committee. The committee will also include the river experts from home and abroad to prepare a master plan to save the Karnaphuli. According to sources in district administration, 2,181 illegal occupiers set up their illegal establishments on 158.45 acres of lands of both sides of river Karnaphuli. There are 2112 occupiers at Bakolia and East Patenga area as per BD survey record while there are also 60 illegal occupiers at Gosaildenga, Monohorkhali and Feringi Bazar Mouja area. The cost of grabbed land of 158.45 acres on both sides of river Katnaphuli is more than taka 2,370 crore.
Sources said, the high court directed to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli. The bench of the Justice Mohammad Rezaul Hasan and Justice Kshefa Hossain in an order on October 16 directed to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli. But, the illegal establishments are yet to be evicted by the authorities concerned. Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Shamsul Arefin said, “We have a plan to evict all illegal establishments from both banks of the Karnaphuli. We need huge budget and planning in this regard. We will conduct eviction drives against the 2,181 illegal occupiers who grabbed the lands of both sides of river Katnaphuli after discussion with other concerned authorities.”
Sources also said, on August 16 last, the high court bench also directed to issue notice to the concerned persons including 2,181 illegal occupiers by giving 90 days time from the receiving the direction of the high court.
Bench of the Justice Mohammed Rejaul Hasan and Justice Kshefa Hossain directed to secretary of Chittagong Development Authority, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chittagong to publish notice on news papers and issued notice to the concerned to the concerned persons to shift the illegal establishments and after receiving the direction of high court within 90 days.
If the concerned persons or owners of the said 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli will fail to shift their establishment within the notice period, the government authorities have to evict the 2,181 illegal establishments on the bank of river Karnaphuli within seven days of the notice period, court sources said.
Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, said, both banks and newly created sands of Karnaphuli, are being illegally occupied by the land grabbers. The authorities concerned of the government should take steps to save the river area from the land grabbers. The Director General of the Department of Environment Rois Ul Alam said, “There are 133 industries situated on the banks of river Karnaphuli. The industries are rampantly discharging the wastages into the water of Karnaphuli causing severe pollution of the water of the Karnaphuli.”
Rois Ul Alam said, there are ETP in only 123 industries only in papers. But, actually the ETPs are not working. 10 industries have no ETP which were closed.
“The TSP Fertilizer Company, MAC paper Mill and many other industries are discharging wastages into the water of river Karnaphuli violating the rules and law. The ETPs of all industries should be renovated to be workable,” Rois Ul Alam said. Chief Hydrographer of Chittagong Port Authority Commander Monjur said, there were 40 canals in Chittagong. Of these, 12 died while many of these were occupied by land grabbers. There is hardly any mud under 12 feet of Karnaphuli, but hype of polythene.
