444 structures demolished in three days

[Homo Sapiens]

http://www.theindependentbd.com/post/185671

1 February, 2019 12:34:05 AM / LAST MODIFIED: 1 February, 2019 11:11:38 AM

444 structures demolished in three days
Walkways, amusement parks planned on freed land

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, Dhaka

Curious onlookers gape at the BIWTA bulldozers tearing down buildings of powerful quarters mushroomed illegally on the foreshore of Buriganga River without any authorisation or guidelines, encroaching into the riverbank and reducing its navigability. The photo was taken from Fan Factory area of Kamrangirchar yesterday. Independent Photo
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has torn down 444 illegal structures in the last three days in its 11-day eviction drive to free river banks from encroachment. The BIWTA executive magistrate has jailed two persons for three months. The accused had set up sawmills after filling up river banks.


The authorities are now planning to construct 50km long walkways, three amusement parks, 12 recreation centres and 19 jetties on river banks reclaimed after eviction. Locally influential people and land grabbers have built several illegal structures, occupying major portion of the banks of the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Dhaleswari rivers. Many of these people are running illegal businesses by setting up saw-mills, factories and stores of bricks, stones and sand on the encroached areas in the absence of strong monitoring.

Besides, many multi-storied buildings are also being constructed after grabbing river banks, according to sources. Against this backdrop, the BIWTA started its eviction drive on Tuesday, and it will continue till February 19. “The city dwellers have no open space for inhaling fresh air. The BIWTA has taken the initiative as per the Prime Minister’s directive to free the river banks from encroachment, so that people can breathe fresh air standing beside the city rivers,” BIWTA chairman Commodore Mohammad Mozammel Haque told The Independent yesterday (Thursday).

A 3.5km long walkway project has been taken up in Kamrangirchar and Kholamora areas, the chairman said. Dishonest people won’t be able to encroach upon riverbanks once the walkways are completed, he added.

“We will construct three parks at Ashulia, Shinnirtek and Tongi on reclaimed river banks. These parks will be given to private companies through open tenders. Besides, we will construct 19 jetties at different points alongside the city rivers,” he said in reply to a query.

The BIWTA chairman said they would construct 12 recreational centres, including gardens, along the riverbanks at Babubazar, Basila and Tongi.

“The eviction drive is a tough job. Many influential people are involved in grabbing riverbanks. Besides, many government organisations have set up offices after filling up riverbanks. The eviction drive is a continuous process,” Haque said.

According to the BIWTA chairman, 50km long walkways will be constructed to protect the city rivers from encroachment. The executive magistrate of the BIWTA, Mostafizur Rahman, said they have removed 444 illegal structures, including 7-storeyed residential buildings, in the last three days.

“Two persons, Rustom and Mostafiz, owners of sawmills, have been jailed for three months. They were running their mills illegally after filling up river banks,” the magistrate said.

According to a BIWTA source, it has prepared a list of 1,000 structures that have been built on the river banks illegally. Around 10,000 illegal structures have been removed from river banks in the last few years, the source added.

MK

 

[Homo Sapiens]

 

[Mage]

Good work.

They need to speed it up.

 

[Bilal9]

I am glad this is being done. Illegal construction on govt. land will not be tolerated.

The local people are 100% behind this.

They will build a wide promenade next to the river and keep it free for good.

They need to get more 'long-reach' excavators like these (two more).

 

[Bilal9]

After Dhaka, Chittagong is next on the Karnafuli shores.

DEMARCATION OF KARNAPHULI RIVER AREA
Officials of Chattogram district administration review a map for the demarcation of Karnaphuli river area. A drive to evict structures built occupying banks of the river will start from Monday. The photo was taken yesterday in Sadarghat area.

 

[Neptune_]

Thank u hasina.

 

[fallstuff]

This is great news.

 

[bluesky]

444 structures demolished in three days
Walkways, amusement parks planned on freed land

The people in those areas and all the other people have been waiting to see such things as demolition of illegal structures for the last 72 years. I hope to see next the reinstating of the Dhaka and Chittagong city canals and the riddance of waterlogging there.

 

[bd_4_ever]

I reckon as these are being finally removed, we would see some fruition of the river-side walk and some new parks. Much needed for the already-congested Dhaka city. To be honest, Dhaka can still improve and get better with millions of residents. The state just needs to plan and construct infrastructures, keep the city clean and create open public spaces for the people to take a breather.

In my last visit, I noticed that now home/building owners create mini-gardens on their rooftops. I then learnt that you can pay less tax for your property if you take such initiatives. This is actually pretty cool and I have seen many, many houses do it. This shows that the public is willing to cooperate if incentives are provided. Something similar has to be done for littering.

Once the metro-rail comes online, the next most important thing would be to encourage the lesser use of cars and removing rickshaws from main roads. I suggest the govt. should introduce a new tax related to pollution. Fix a lump-sum figure per car per owner that they have to pay monthly if they use their cars. Or alternatively, provide a mobility-bonus to employees if they dont use their cars, or may be make it free to obtain the all-inclusive transport cards (when it is launched), paid for monthly by their employers.

 

[TopCat]

I reckon as these are being finally removed, we would see some fruition of the river-side walk and some new parks. Much needed for the already-congested Dhaka city. To be honest, Dhaka can still improve and get better with millions of residents. The state just needs to plan and construct infrastructures, keep the city clean and create open public spaces for the people to take a breather.

In my last visit, I noticed that now home/building owners create mini-gardens on their rooftops. I then learnt that you can pay less tax for your property if you take such initiatives. This is actually pretty cool and I have seen many, many houses do it. This shows that the public is willing to cooperate if incentives are provided. Something similar has to be done for littering.

Once the metro-rail comes online, the next most important thing would be to encourage the lesser use of cars and removing rickshaws from main roads. I suggest the govt. should introduce a new tax related to pollution. Fix a lump-sum figure per car per owner that they have to pay monthly if they use their cars. Or alternatively, provide a mobility-bonus to employees if they dont use their cars, or may be make it free to obtain the all-inclusive transport cards (when it is launched), paid for monthly by their employers.

Well we need to remove the restriction on cars after the metro rails come online. We have very few cars on the street. Metro rail should be able to remove the junk buses from the street and will free up most of the spaces.
Rickshaw needs to go but for that we need smaller cars.

 

[bd_4_ever]

Well we need to remove the restriction on cars after the metro rails come online. We have very few cars on the street. Metro rail should be able to remove the junk buses from the street and will free up most of the spaces.
Rickshaw needs to go but for that we need smaller cars.

I actually think we should put stricter restrictions on cars and at the same time, provide high incentives to use public transport. That is the correct and the most sustainable way forward for a highly populated country like us, notwithstanding the poor road and infrastructure planning.

Just like they did with 'murir tins' and 'baby taxis', rickshaws should mostly be restricted to inner roads and residential areas. As for other, train and employ these pullers in other jobs.

 

[TopCat]

I actually think we should put stricter restrictions on cars and at the same time, provide high incentives to use public transport. That is the correct and the most sustainable way forward for a highly populated country like us, notwithstanding the poor road and infrastructure planning.

Just like they did with 'murir tins' and 'baby taxis', rickshaws should mostly be restricted to inner roads and residential areas. As for other, train and employ these pullers in other jobs.

Your economic theory does not work.

 

[fallstuff]

I actually think we should put stricter restrictions on cars and at the same time, provide high incentives to use public transport. That is the correct and the most sustainable way forward for a highly populated country like us, notwithstanding the poor road and infrastructure planning.

Just like they did with 'murir tins' and 'baby taxis', rickshaws should mostly be restricted to inner roads and residential areas. As for other, train and employ these pullers in other jobs.

For all practical reasons , these congestion may abate a little after the construction of metro rails and expressways, but will never be a thing of the past. These projects are 5 to 10 years away from fruition. In those years the economy will more than double. As the traffic eases a little with the opening of new metro lines, more people would want to buy cars causing congestion again.. The mere fact is Dhaka just does not have enough roadways or space available to build new ones to hold anymore car than it already has.

It just has to get bigger or move businesses away from overcrowded neighborhoods.

 

[bluesky]

There is no possibility of an abated Dhaka traffic congestion anytime soon. So, the GoB must take actions that can alleviate congestion and allow a smooth transition of vehicles. Dhaka has quite a number of Saraks/boulevards but lacks smaller distributor roads/streets that go to the right and left away from the main Saraks.

So, different areas/blocks should be gradually re-zoned to accommodate smaller new roads. Re-zoning may require the following actions:
1) Still photography of an entire block/area by a slow flying airplane,
2) Deciding the width, length, and route of the proposed new road/street,
3) Inscribing the proposed road on the blueprint of aerial drawing sheet to decide which structures need demolition, and
4) Buying up the land and demolishing these buildings to make space for a new road.

I hope, someday the GoB will do what I have said here or will do some better works. However, there is no gain unless there is a pain. Dhaka people must be ready to suffer now to facilitate easy traffic later.

 

[Bilal9]

Eviction drive begins to clear out encroachers from Karnaphuli River
Chattogram Bureau, bdnews24.com

Published: 04 Feb 2019 01:13 PM BdST Updated: 04 Feb 2019 01:13 PM BdST

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The local administration in Chattogram has begun an eviction drive to remove 2,500 illegal government and private structures ‘engulfing’ the Karnaphuli river, the ‘lifeline of Chattogram’, following a court order issued two years ago.

The drive began at Sadarghat Lighterage Jetty around 10:00 am on Monday and was led by Tahmilur Rahman, assistant commissioner of the Patenga Land Office, and Executive Magistrate Touhidul Islam.

The structures adjacent to the river near the jetty were bulldozed first.

The 10 km area stretch from the estuary of Karnaphuli River in Patenga to Mohra has been divided into three zones for the drive, said the commissioner.

The structures situated from Sadarghat to Barik Building will be demolished in the first phase, he said while the structures from Patenga to Chaktai will be demolished later.

About 100 workers are engaged in the eviction work along with a pay loader, excavator and truck.

Representatives from the Chattogram City Corporation, CDA, Chattogram Port Authority, BIWTA, Fire Service and Karnaphuli Gas, along with the police and RAB personnel were present for drive.

Nearly 10 acres of land will be reclaimed in the first phase of eviction by removing around 200 structures, said Assistant Commissioner Tahmilur Rahman.

“Both government and private organisations are assisting in the eviction drive. Some of them removed their structures before the drive began. We have had no clashes yet,” he said.

Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury announces that a drive to remove illegal structures along the river Karnaphuli will begin Monday after visiting the area in Chattogram on Saturday. Photo: Suman Babu

The land retrieved in the drive will be barred off and trees will be planted there, said the official.

On Jul 18, 2010, the High Court issued an order banning river encroachment, land filling and all kinds of structures in the river following a writ petition in the public interest by Human Rights Peace for Bangladesh.

The court also ordered the local administration to identify the actual border of the river and submit a report.

The district administration in Chattogram began identifying the border of the river on Nov 9, 2014. The illegal structures identified during that investigation are now being evicted.

The eviction drive was announced for Monday following a coordination meeting led by the district commissioner on Thursday.

The meeting discussed the issue of removing 2,112 structures including 368 from Patenga, the EPZ, the port area, Kotowali, Baklia, Chandgaon Mouja and 1,744 structures from East Patenga Mouja.

“Karnaphuli is an asset of Chattogram. We should conserve it going beyond our personal opinion or being partisan. Chattogram will live if Karnaphuli lives,” said Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed on Saturday, before the eviction drive.