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River authorities guilty too
[Bangla Daily Star] Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), the organisation responsible to protect the rivers from encroachers, has set up structures on the filled-up land and rented out those, apparently encouraging these greedy people to violate the laws. In a recent visit to Sadarghat, it was seen encroachment on the Buriganga continues on both sides of the BIWTA office. The Buckland embankment constructed along the riverbank in Sadarghat has now become a narrow lane. Every day the embankment faces huge traffic congestion as the BIWTA authorities have built several markets on it in two rows. Asked about construction of commercial installations on the filled-up land and riverbanks, BIWTA Chairman Abdul Mannan Chowdhury during a recent visit to The Daily Star said, "It has stopped since I took office. "At the moment BIWTA is not making any business sheds," he said. However, recent visits to the embankment revealed that filling up of the river continues on both sides of the BIWTA office. Local vegetable grocers have long been dumping rubbish, rotten vegetables and fruits, and coconut shells on the riverbank in Shyambazar and Badamtali around the BIWTA office, contributing to pollution and filling up of the Buriganga. An area stretching up to 50 feet in the river from the embankment has already been filled up where BIWTA and other religious and private organisations have set up establishments. Posted by: Fred 2009-05-30 |
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