Editorial
Rajuk filling up the Balu
River grabbing by state agency!
We must thank the Department of Environment (DoE) for acting promptly on the report of The Daily Star regarding the damage done to the Balu. But we feel that it should have acted sooner. The river had already become clogged and un-navigable due to unabated encroachment and pollution. And RAJUK has caused constriction of its width by filling up the banks in order to construct a bridge over it under a project that did not have the approval of the BIWTA.
Although the project has been stopped, but what is inexplicable is the fact that the DoE was prompted to act only by the Star's report when a good part of the project had already been completed and substantial damage to the river done as a result.
The RAJUK, the DoE, and the BIWTA owe an explanation to clarify a few things. One wonders how come a project that had not been cleared by the BIWTA could have been proceeded with, and what was RAJUK's compulsion to go ahead with an unapproved scheme. And how it is that none of the relevant agencies had noticed the construction work in the last three years, the project having commenced in 2008 and was due for completion next year?
Regrettably, in spite of the government's declared policy with regards to protection of the rivers, and the very strong commitment of the PM herself to the issue, and the seminal 12-point formula by the highest judiciary in this matter, river grabbing goes on unabated. In this case the grabber happens to be a government agency that seems to care little for government or judicial instructions.
While one must laud government decisions regarding protection of the rivers and the environment, their implementation has been lamentably poor. And the latest instance has exposed a serious failure of governance too. While we, The Daily Star, have been waging, a relentless struggle, and will continue to do so to save the rivers, it would be advisable for the government not to wait for the media but to be more proactive and gear up its own oversight mechanism to nab the grabbers before they can cause serious damage.
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