Editorial
Turag Under Threat
WHAT was leased out to be a landing pier along the river Turag has been turned into an encroaching jetty where huge cargo boats carrying construction materials including illegally logged wood from the Sunderbans have been berthing. The important river that connects the Buriganga and the Balu on the north of the metropolis has been constricted at that point. The southern bank portion was leased out by the Dhaka City Corporation but the Water Development Board and the District Adminis-tration are responsible for the other bank. So we have three agencies responsible for the use or otherwise of this river.
The photograph on the frontpage of this newspaper on Friday showed that a long stretch of the river has been filled up in the name of a landing ghat that poses a threat to the bridge. Experts are saying that a change in the natural course of the river could affect the bridge. Encroachers are also alleged to have eaten up land on the north-western bank endangering the bridge, as it is.
The DCC, as usual, pleads their ignorance about the encroachment and promises to investigate the allegations and are supposed to come out with a statement today (Sunday). On the other hand, the Water Development Board claims that it has been decided by the government to bring all rivers under the PWB's jurisdiction. The board laments it has no power to take action against the encroachers. May we ask: who has? In the absence of appropriate authorities to oversee the conditions of the rivers we may come across more such problems in the future. The water resources ministry must wake up to it.
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