Kamruzzaman Bablu :
The concern authorities are yet to recover capital’s 68 parks and 10 playgrounds, which have been illegally occupied by some influential quarters, despite High Court directive to recover.
These parks and playgrounds are mostly located at Gabtali, Sayedabad and Dhanmondi areas of the city.
Dillydally policy on the part of the authority is also helping the illegal occupants to grab rest of the plots, the playgrounds and the parks.
After a visit to different such spaces, this correspondent found that some multi-storied buildings, shops, offices and political offices of ruling party had been built on the govt plots.
For example, a big park that was created by filling a pond at Jatrabari, about 30 years ago by the undivided DCC, has now been reduced to a small parcel of land, due to illegal occupation.
Residents of the area used to find the park as an ideal place for recreation, which also played host to Eid congregations. Occasionally, exhibitions were also be arranged there.
A source at DSCC said, about five years ago, undivided Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) built a public toilet and an office at a corner of the two bighas of parkland, but now almost three fourths of the park have gone under the illegal occupants.
Moreover, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) set up a pump there and a portion of the park has also been occupied by the Bridges Division for constructing the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover which worsened the environment of the park.
On the other hand, Dhanmondi playground, which spreads over nearly 14 bighas of land, was handed over to DCC in January 1984 by the Public Works Department (PWD). DCC was entrusted with the task of maintaining the playground, said a DNCC sources.
While contacted, high officials of both south and the north city corporations said the authority is helpless to the political musclemen to recover the land of playground.
“Whenever we go to recover the lands, we have to face political pressure and have to come back without any success,” a high official of Dhaka North City Corporation told the New Nation on Monday.
“Being a member of the city, I feel that open spaces should be increased, but in practical it is gradually vanishing,” he said expressing his deep shock.
However, Khan Mohammad Bilal, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said, a part of the playground and parks are not in a
position to recover, but rest of the spaces will be done within the next six months.
“A few number of playgrounds and parks are not possible to recover from illegal occupants. But within the next 5 to 6 months we will be able to recover those illegal establishments, he said.
He also hoped that after recovery of the property, proper utilization would be ensured. However, a case was filed in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in 2003, and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) in 2004.
On the other hand, in a major development, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on October 18, 2010, ordered the authorities to take immediate measures to recover all children’s parks and playgrounds in the city. But the authorities have failed to act.
BAPA Advocate Shah Monjurul Haque said The New Nation, hopefully the authorities would take effective measures for the sake of the greater interest of the nation.
The environment activists also alleged that some people were trying to set up a clinic on the Khilji Road playground at Mohammadpur, which was used by the children as a playground.
BAPA vice-president, Quazi Saleh Ahmed said that influential quarters are busy in grabbing the public places ignoring their social responsibility.
The concern authorities are yet to recover capital’s 68 parks and 10 playgrounds, which have been illegally occupied by some influential quarters, despite High Court directive to recover.
These parks and playgrounds are mostly located at Gabtali, Sayedabad and Dhanmondi areas of the city.
Dillydally policy on the part of the authority is also helping the illegal occupants to grab rest of the plots, the playgrounds and the parks.
After a visit to different such spaces, this correspondent found that some multi-storied buildings, shops, offices and political offices of ruling party had been built on the govt plots.
For example, a big park that was created by filling a pond at Jatrabari, about 30 years ago by the undivided DCC, has now been reduced to a small parcel of land, due to illegal occupation.
Residents of the area used to find the park as an ideal place for recreation, which also played host to Eid congregations. Occasionally, exhibitions were also be arranged there.
A source at DSCC said, about five years ago, undivided Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) built a public toilet and an office at a corner of the two bighas of parkland, but now almost three fourths of the park have gone under the illegal occupants.
Moreover, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) set up a pump there and a portion of the park has also been occupied by the Bridges Division for constructing the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover which worsened the environment of the park.
On the other hand, Dhanmondi playground, which spreads over nearly 14 bighas of land, was handed over to DCC in January 1984 by the Public Works Department (PWD). DCC was entrusted with the task of maintaining the playground, said a DNCC sources.
While contacted, high officials of both south and the north city corporations said the authority is helpless to the political musclemen to recover the land of playground.
“Whenever we go to recover the lands, we have to face political pressure and have to come back without any success,” a high official of Dhaka North City Corporation told the New Nation on Monday.
“Being a member of the city, I feel that open spaces should be increased, but in practical it is gradually vanishing,” he said expressing his deep shock.
However, Khan Mohammad Bilal, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) said, a part of the playground and parks are not in a
position to recover, but rest of the spaces will be done within the next six months.
“A few number of playgrounds and parks are not possible to recover from illegal occupants. But within the next 5 to 6 months we will be able to recover those illegal establishments, he said.
He also hoped that after recovery of the property, proper utilization would be ensured. However, a case was filed in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) in 2003, and Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) in 2004.
On the other hand, in a major development, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on October 18, 2010, ordered the authorities to take immediate measures to recover all children’s parks and playgrounds in the city. But the authorities have failed to act.
BAPA Advocate Shah Monjurul Haque said The New Nation, hopefully the authorities would take effective measures for the sake of the greater interest of the nation.
The environment activists also alleged that some people were trying to set up a clinic on the Khilji Road playground at Mohammadpur, which was used by the children as a playground.
BAPA vice-president, Quazi Saleh Ahmed said that influential quarters are busy in grabbing the public places ignoring their social responsibility.
