Reza Mahmud :
The four rivers surrounding the capital city of Dhaka will get back their fresh water soon. The city will then get respite from all stenches, pollutions and illegal grabbing. The National Taskforce for resisting the illegal grabbing of lands and pollutions of the rivers expressed optimism about success. The Ministry of Shipping and the department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) are working seriously to revive the rivers of Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Balu and Turag. The government has included the Bangladesh Navy in the programme to recover the occupied lands of those rivers.
“It needs courage to recover occupied lands of rivers from the influential grabbers. So, we have engaged Bangladesh Navy in the programme. They are working sharply and we are optimistic of success,” said the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan to a group of Journalists.
When contacted, Ashoke Madhab Roy, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, told The New Nation “The National Taskforce is working seriously to recover the four rivers flowing by the capital city.
Now I am spending most of my times on boat in those rivers. We are optimistic that the rivers will get back their fresh and stink-free water as well as the sharp current soon. We have relocated the lather industries from the Hazaribagh of the city to Savar to keep the rivers free from those industrial pollutions.”
He also said, the task force is using every tool to fulfil its plans of the stench free healthy river shore.
“We have recovered 20 kilometers of the bank of the four rivers and have built walkways and parks. We have almost built two parks recovering lands at Shympur beside the Buriganga and another at Narayanganj by the Shitalakkhya river. We also created many walkways in different areas of the rivers,” Commodore M. Mozammel Haque, the Chairman of BIWTA told The New Nation.
Sources said, non-government organisations like Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and Riverine People, among others, are included in the taskforce. But sadly, many of the organizations are not attending the meeting of taskforce.
When contacted, Sheikh Rokon, Secretary General of Riverine People, told The New Nation that the decisions taken in the meeting of taskforce, should be executed.
He said, “The decision to engage Bangladesh Navy with the work is good. The force should not fail.”
Sources said, land grabbers occupied different areas of the Buriganga on several occasions. Many of them built buildings on the riverbank. It obstacles the currents and made the rivers vulnerable. The huge waste from the capital’s industries and sewerages made the water stinky. The city dwellers said they used to take bath in the river even 10 years ago. They also used to get morning walk on the banks of the river every day. But now they cannot go near the river because of serious bad smells.
“We are permanent residents of Gendaria beside the Buriganga. We used to swim in Buriganga everyday since my childhood. Even 10 years ago, the people have to use the rivers’ water for bath and cooking. But now the condition is serious. The untold stinks drive away people. The pollutions and occupiers made the river the doorstep of death,” said, Abul Hossain, the owner of Medicine Point at Gendaria.
Sources said, huge polythenes, plastics and other garbage and waste have made two to three feet thick layers under the Buriganga water. Besides the industrial waste icluding colors and chemicals made the rivers water poisonous which killed the fishes and keep away them to breeding in the river.
The rest three rivers beside the city bear same picture. The sand sellers and other businessmen occupied huge lands of Shitalakkhya, Balu and Turag rivers.
The National Taskforce was formed in 2009 to meet the demand of many organisations.
The Secretary of the Shipping said, a project has been drafted under finance of the World Bank to revive those rivers.
“The taskforce formed four committees led by District Commissioners of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Munshiganj to conduct survey how to recover the rivers from illegal grabbing and pollutions. The taskforce arranges meeting once in every month to discuss how the committees shall work and how much the plans are implemented,” said the Secretary of Shipping Ministry.
The BIWTA Chairman said, under the Sustainable Development Goal, (SDG) different bodies of the government are working to make the rivers pollution free.
“The Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Environment, Bangladesh Navy, and Dhaka City Corporations and BITWA are working together in these regards,” The BIWTA Chairman said. He said, “The task force has recovered 300 acres of lands of different rivers across the country. We have plan to recover 70 acres of lands more in this year. We have given special importance to the four rivers besides the capital. The people will find the rivers with fresh waters soon.”
He said, the rivers are the life of nature and civilizations.
The four rivers surrounding the capital city of Dhaka will get back their fresh water soon. The city will then get respite from all stenches, pollutions and illegal grabbing. The National Taskforce for resisting the illegal grabbing of lands and pollutions of the rivers expressed optimism about success. The Ministry of Shipping and the department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) are working seriously to revive the rivers of Buriganga, Shitalakkhya, Balu and Turag. The government has included the Bangladesh Navy in the programme to recover the occupied lands of those rivers.
“It needs courage to recover occupied lands of rivers from the influential grabbers. So, we have engaged Bangladesh Navy in the programme. They are working sharply and we are optimistic of success,” said the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan to a group of Journalists.
When contacted, Ashoke Madhab Roy, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, told The New Nation “The National Taskforce is working seriously to recover the four rivers flowing by the capital city.
Now I am spending most of my times on boat in those rivers. We are optimistic that the rivers will get back their fresh and stink-free water as well as the sharp current soon. We have relocated the lather industries from the Hazaribagh of the city to Savar to keep the rivers free from those industrial pollutions.”
He also said, the task force is using every tool to fulfil its plans of the stench free healthy river shore.
“We have recovered 20 kilometers of the bank of the four rivers and have built walkways and parks. We have almost built two parks recovering lands at Shympur beside the Buriganga and another at Narayanganj by the Shitalakkhya river. We also created many walkways in different areas of the rivers,” Commodore M. Mozammel Haque, the Chairman of BIWTA told The New Nation.
Sources said, non-government organisations like Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) and Riverine People, among others, are included in the taskforce. But sadly, many of the organizations are not attending the meeting of taskforce.
When contacted, Sheikh Rokon, Secretary General of Riverine People, told The New Nation that the decisions taken in the meeting of taskforce, should be executed.
He said, “The decision to engage Bangladesh Navy with the work is good. The force should not fail.”
Sources said, land grabbers occupied different areas of the Buriganga on several occasions. Many of them built buildings on the riverbank. It obstacles the currents and made the rivers vulnerable. The huge waste from the capital’s industries and sewerages made the water stinky. The city dwellers said they used to take bath in the river even 10 years ago. They also used to get morning walk on the banks of the river every day. But now they cannot go near the river because of serious bad smells.
“We are permanent residents of Gendaria beside the Buriganga. We used to swim in Buriganga everyday since my childhood. Even 10 years ago, the people have to use the rivers’ water for bath and cooking. But now the condition is serious. The untold stinks drive away people. The pollutions and occupiers made the river the doorstep of death,” said, Abul Hossain, the owner of Medicine Point at Gendaria.
Sources said, huge polythenes, plastics and other garbage and waste have made two to three feet thick layers under the Buriganga water. Besides the industrial waste icluding colors and chemicals made the rivers water poisonous which killed the fishes and keep away them to breeding in the river.
The rest three rivers beside the city bear same picture. The sand sellers and other businessmen occupied huge lands of Shitalakkhya, Balu and Turag rivers.
The National Taskforce was formed in 2009 to meet the demand of many organisations.
The Secretary of the Shipping said, a project has been drafted under finance of the World Bank to revive those rivers.
“The taskforce formed four committees led by District Commissioners of Dhaka, Gazipur, Narayanganj and Munshiganj to conduct survey how to recover the rivers from illegal grabbing and pollutions. The taskforce arranges meeting once in every month to discuss how the committees shall work and how much the plans are implemented,” said the Secretary of Shipping Ministry.
The BIWTA Chairman said, under the Sustainable Development Goal, (SDG) different bodies of the government are working to make the rivers pollution free.
“The Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Environment, Bangladesh Navy, and Dhaka City Corporations and BITWA are working together in these regards,” The BIWTA Chairman said. He said, “The task force has recovered 300 acres of lands of different rivers across the country. We have plan to recover 70 acres of lands more in this year. We have given special importance to the four rivers besides the capital. The people will find the rivers with fresh waters soon.”
He said, the rivers are the life of nature and civilizations.
