26% of Dhaka's reservoirs under threat of encroachment: seminar

Environmentalists, researchers and experts on the issue, lawmaker, officials from government and non-government organisations at a seminar have said that although minimum 10-15% reservoirs are a must for a liveable town, the waterbodies in Dhaka city are decreasing in an alarming rate. 

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, reads a press release.

Bangladesh Nature Conservation Alliance (BNCA), a coalition of different environmental organisations in the country, and DIT Pond Conservation Movement of Gendaria jointly-arranged the seminar titled "Importance of Dhaka's Ponds and Reservoirs and Responsibility for Conservation" at the National Press Club in the capital on Thursday (22 June). 

Presenting keynote speech in the seminar, Mohammad Azaz, chairman of River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC), said that the at least 86 ponds and other waterbodies of the rest of reservoirs as well as 327 ponds and waterbodies are being grabbed by government and non-government organisations and influential. "Among them, six are being grabbed by government bodies, while 79 are being grabbed by non-government organisations and one by government and non-government organisations," he added.

Prof Dr Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, convener of BNCA and chairman of Department of Environmental Science at Stamford University,  presided over the seminar, while Syed Abu Hossain Babla, lawmaker from Dhaka-4; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA); 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; took part in the discussion.  

Adv Shafiqur Rahman, chairperson of Initiative for Peace (IFP); Kefaullah Chowdhury Shakil, convenor at Jatri Odhikar Andoaln (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.    

Saying that the ponds and other reservoirs in Dhaka city must be saved for our survival, Mohammad Azad called upon the Rajdhan Unnoyon Kortipokkya (Rajuk) to take effective initiative to save the rest of ponds and other reservoirs in the city.   

"According to laws, no waterbody can be filled up anyway, even the waterbody of individual's ownership. The Rajuk can issue a circular in this regard. If Rajuk become more vibrant, the ponds and other waterbodies in Dhaka city will be saved from grabbing and disappearing," he told the seminar.

In her speech, Syeda Rizwana Hasan of BELA came down heavily on Rajdhani Unnoyon Kortipokkya (Rajuk) for its controversial role over ponds and reservoirs in Dhaka city. "We have turned Dhaka city into Karbala through destroying ponds and other waterbodies. Rajuk is responsible for that. The Rajuk is a massive corrupted body. The government body itself is involved in housing through filling up waterbodies."