26pc of Dhaka’s reservoirs under threat of encroachment
Environmentalists and experts have said at a seminar that although minimum 10-15 per cent waterbodies is a must for a livable town, reservoirs are decreasing at an alarming rate in Dhaka city.
The reservoirs are being grabbed indiscriminately. It is concerning that ponds and waterbodies in the city, including the DIT Pond at Gendaria in the Old parts of Dhaka, are being grabbed, defying DAP and environmental laws and other laws and rules.
Environmentalists, researchers, experts on the issue, lawmaker, official from government and non-government organizations said this at a seminar organised jointly by Bangladesh Nature Conservation Alliance (BNCA) and DIT Pond Conservation Movement of Gendaria.
The seminar titled ‘Importance of Dhaka’s ponds and reservoirs and responsibility for conservation’ was arranged at the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday.
Presenting keynote speech in the seminar, Mohammad Azaz, chairman of River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), said that at least 86 ponds and other reservoirs of the remaining 327 in Dhaka city are being grabbed by government and non-government organisations and influential quarters. Of them, six are being grabbed by government organisations, 79 by non-government organisations and one jointly by government and non-government organisations.
Saying that the ponds and other reservoirs in Dhaka city must be saved for our survival, Mohammad Azad called upon the Rajdhani Unnoyon Kartripakkha (RAJUK) to take effective measures to save the rest of ponds and other reservoirs in the city.
According to laws, no waterbody, even the private ones, can be filled up anyway. The RAJUK can issue a circular in this regard. If RAJUK becomes more active, the ponds and other waterbodies in Dhaka city will be saved from grabbing.
In her speech, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) Syeda Rizwana Hasan came down heavily on RAJUK for its controversial role over ponds and reservoirs in Dhaka city.
“We have destroyed ponds and other waterbodies in the Dhaka city. RAJUK is responsible for that. The RAJUK is a massive corrupt body. The government body itself is involved in housing through filling up water bodies.”
Chaired by convener of BNCA and chairman of department of environmental science at Stamford University Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, the seminar was attended, among others, by Syed Abu Hossain Babla, lawmaker from Dhaka-4; Bazlur Rashid, deputy assistant director of Fire Service and Civil Defence; Suman Shams, chief coordinator of Nongar Trust; Muhmammad Anwarul Hoque, member secretary of BNCA and secretary general of Save Our Sea; and Ibnul Sayeed Rana of Nirapad Development Foundation.
Shafiqur Rahman, chairperson of Initiative for Peace (IFP); Kefaetullah Chowdhury Shakil, convenor at Jatri Odhikar Andolon (Passengers’ Rights Movement), Ibrahim Ahmed Ripon, convenor of DIT Pond Conservation Movement; Fazle Sany of Nongar and Mostafa Bashir Uddin also spoke on the occasion.