Drive begins today to free the Bhairab from encroachers

A partial view of the Bhairab riverbank in Jessore town, encroached by land grabbers. A drive by the administration begins today to demolish illegal structures. PHOTO: STAR

They have prepared a list of 119 illegal constructions along the banks, sources in the administration said.

People of all walks of life have hailed the initiative, saying this will give the river a new life.

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The Bhairab was the lifeline for the town about 50 years back, when launches and big boats carrying both passengers and cargo plied the river.

Commercial and industrial towns like Khulna, Noapara and Jessore developed on both banks of the Bhairab, taking advantage of its navigability.

But due to the adverse effect of Farakka Barrage, illegal construction of commercial and residential buildings on its banks in Jessore municipal area and unplanned construction of bridges across the river, a large portion of the river up to Basundia is now almost dead.

Water still flows up to Basundia in the river, some 20 kilometres off Jessore town. But the river is almost dead from Taherpur in Chow-gachha upazila in the upstream to Ghuni in Jessore Sadar upazila in the down stream via Jessore town.

In the municipal areas, illegal occupants have built markets and buildings in the name of hospitals, clinics and residential houses.

Most of the lessees have misused lease agreements and grabbed lands up to the river bad, thereby choking the river. As a result, the Bhairab fails to accommodate the additional water in the rainy season, creating water-logging in low-lying areas of Jessore town.

"It will be a gigantic task, to restore navigability of the river", said Jessore Deputy Commi-ssioner Mohammad Abdul Wazed while talking to this correspondent.

"The district administration, after consultation with the Citizens' Committee, political personalities and journalists, has decided to free the municipal area of the river from encroachers", he added. There is a plan also to beautify the banks.

The land grabbers have bun notified. Publicity is being made in the town every day, asking the grabbers to demolish their structures on their own before June 19. Otherwise, those will be demolished by the district administration.

But the illegal occupants did not show any gesture to remove encroachments till yesterday. Many of them said they have lease documents.

Talking to this correspondent some city dwellers said they are waiting to see the drive become successful because such campaigns were launched earlier also.