Half of Daillah Lake in Khagrachhari grabbed
Structures built by encroachers on Daillah Lake in Matiranga upazila headquarters in Khagrachhari.Photo: STAR
The 15-acre government Daillah lake in Matiranga is shrinking fast as land grabbers are constructing buildings and makeshift structures by filling it up. The lake has been squeezed to about 8 aces over the years. Its water has also become polluted due to dumping of garbage and wastes. Neither the district administration nor Matiranga municipality did not take any effective steps to stop the encroachment as most of the grabbers belong to political parties, sources told this correspondent. The lake was created in 1980 to provide water to nearby people and promote fish cultivation. It's management was vested on the upazila parishad. In a recent tender, the lake was leased to three persons for three years only at Tk 2,35,500. The lease will be effective from first of Bangla month of Baisakh. to Abul Kashem, Hazi Siraj Mia and Jasim Uddin. This correspondent during a visit saw at least 200 illegal structures built by encroaching the lake. Most of illegal structured were built in last five years, locals said. Some of the encroachers have procured papers showing 'lease', but the authorities, when contacted, denied this. Once an attractive place for local people and tourists, has lost its its scenic beauty. Its water is also polluted, the locals said. "We have lost a nice recreation spot", said Mohammad Ahsan Ullah, a resident in the area. “As authorities did not take any step to demolish illegal structures, others are now building slums on its bank and renting those”, said local BNP leader Abul Kashem. The lake is hardly eight acres now though it was 15 acres earlier, said journalist and environmentalist Indrajit Banik land. Seeking anonymity, an official of Matiranga municipality said the authorities are helpless as most of the land grabbers are political leaders. Matiranga municipality commissioner Nurul Alam said encroachment of the lake continues. Mohammad Rahmat Ullah of Chowdhurypara in the area said each of over 200 business establishments built on bank of the lake was given 20 feet land by the Bazar Fund but each of them encroached over 50 feet by filing up the lake. The lake was encroached under the nose of the administration, said former chairman of Matiranga upazila parishad Nasir Ahmmed Chowdhury. Government lands were recovered from grabbers in many areas in the country after January last year but no such move was taken in Matiganra, he said. Matiranga Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Afzalur Rahman said the lake would be freed from encroachers and steps taken to restore its beauty. He said there was no survey of the lake in last four years. Khagrachhari deputy commissioner Mohammad Shahadat Hossen said steps would be taken against the culprits.
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