Save the city's wetlands

This has been the attitude of the unscrupulous among the developers who, incomplete disregard for the law of the land, and in connivance with some officials at Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk), are making a field-day of grabbing exploits.

The environmentalists and experts have been expressing a grave concern over the negative impact of such unregulated practices of so-called urbanisation. For example, exposing the city more to floods, unexpected waterlogging because of heavy rain, as we had witnessed last monsoon that created havoc in many parts of the city, are some of the most obvious consequences of the unlawful filling up of wetlands. Indeed, this has contributed largely to the choking of whatever natural drainage channels there are in the capital.

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In the latest instance, Rajuk's approval reportedly hadn't been taken by the company concerned but that does not absolve the authority of its responsibility. Does it? It must have the mechanisms to check whether anyone is violating the Wetland, Water Body and Open Space Protection Act, 2000 because its natural mandate is to do this. In fact, turning a blind eye to the irregularities only fuels further grabbing of lands. It encourages the potential expropriators to carry on with the illegal business undeterred. The law was primarily enacted to stop such viciously commercial and environmentally damaging filling of water bodies but like many other laws of the country enacted to protect the citizens' basic rights, this also remains patently unimplemented.