DoE stops construction of 30-storey illegal bldg
The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday penalised a developer with a Tk 32 lakh fine for constructing a 30-storey commercial building in the capital without any environmental clearance.
It also fined a private housing company, Purbachal Probashi Polli, Tk 25 lakh for illegally undertaking a housing project at Rupganj in Narayanganj without the environmental clearance.
A DoE enforcement team detected that the developer, Borak Real Estate Ltd, had not obtained the civil aviation's clearance in building the high-rise, DCC-Unique Complex, in Banani.
DoE Director Mohammad Munir Chowdhury, who handed down the penalty, ordered the Borak authorities to stall the construction work immediately until mandatory clearances are obtained from the government agencies concerned.
Borak was supposed to build a 14-storey building as per the lease deed with Dhaka North City Corporation, but they had already built 27 floors, said Munir.
As per the environmental law, the developer was required to obtain site clearance before commencing the construction work, he said.
Mimshad Rahman, director of Borak Real Estate Ltd, said the city corporation that owns the land was supposed to obtain all the required clearances from the government as per the contract.
About the height of the building, he said though the lease deed was for a 14-storey building, the chief engineer of the city corporation approved a 30-storey drawing.
In another drive at Rupganj, the DoE team detected that 98 percent proposed site of Purbachal Probashi Polli's housing project was submerged in water, where local people catch fish.
The DoE team had dismantled the project's signboards and ordered closure of all its activities there.
DoE Director Munir said the Probashi Polli authority runs the housing scheme as Adnan Satellite City and thus deceive the ordinary people.
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