Our waterways
The DS has over the years carried out many investigative reports, but none as vital or as noble as the current campaign to save our waterways. Our lives depend on fresh water but it seems our 'leaders' are powerless to stop the onslaught or maybe they themselves are part of it.
The illegal occupation and pollution of the waterways is like thrombosis of our arteries and slow poisoning of our vital organs and the result will invariably be fatal not only for Dhaka but the whole of Bangladesh and its 150 million people if not checked immediately. This calls for quick and decisive action that cannot be left to the mercies of impotent ministries and departments. What is necessary is surgical implementation of existing laws by a duly empowered, fully autonomous select body duly authorized to carry out its mandate without any deviation on account of political pressure, vague rules, redundant laws etc. We, as well as our politicians, have to decide immediately, whether a legal imbroglio and narrow vested interests are more important or the very lives of all our citizens. There is such an example on record although it does not compare in magnitude with the present throttling of our waterways.
In 1960, Queen Elizabeth was due to visit Bangladesh and Dacca was being refurbished to accord a fitting welcome to her. The road from Tejgaon Airport to Shahbagh was narrow and pot-holed, meandering through Karwan Bazar with all its jams and stink and not fit at all to receive a queen. A broad, tree lined avenue was in the Master Plan, but its implementation was bogged down by court cases, compensation claims and dozens of writs. With just a few weeks left, the matter was brought to the attention of the then Governor, Gen Azam Khan.
Gen Azam is reported to have asked just one question “Is this road in the Master Plan?” When this was confirmed, he ordered the DIT (or was it the DMC then) to assemble all their bull-dozers and crew at both ends of the proposed road. Early next morning, he is said to have flagged off the wrecking machinery himself. In a matter of days the present Airport Road was completed and the houses on both sides were ordered to be repaired and painted. No doubt the court cases are still being fought to the merriment of the lawyers, but Dhaka got a trunk road that has given invaluable service now for 50 years.
Similarly, if Dhaka and indeed Bangladesh is to survive and prosper, the following remedies need to be taken in hand immediately by the afore-mentioned select body.
1. Demarcate all the rivers, lakes, haors, beels, canals etc as per their ORIGINAL boundaries clearly shown in authoritative maps prior to 1971.
2. Demolish all structures intruding beyond these boundaries.
3. Dredge all filled-in portions and remove the earth restoring the waterways to their original boundaries.
4. Remove and block all channels, pipes, culverts etc carrying untreated sewage, effluent and waste from factories, industries, houses etc to all waterways. To save lives, close down and fine the polluters without mercy.
5. Remove all temporary huts, bustees and slum dwellings within 50 metres of all waterways, without any exit for waste to the waterway.
6. Starting with the Buriganga, Sitalakhya, Balu, Turag, Dhaleshwari and Dhaka's internal lakes, dredge all waterways to remove the sludge and deepen the channel as before.
7. Cost of 2, 3 and 4 are to be borne by those who have illegally occupied, filled in and polluted the waterways.
I realize this will be a mammoth task, costing a pretty penny but it has to be done as quickly as possible. In any case do we have a choice?
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