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Senakalyan's condition

Define river area before removing encroachment

By Staff Correspondent
The Senakalyan Sangstha (SKS) will remove its encroachment on the river Burig-anga if the B1WTA defines the "shore and foreshore" and demarcates the river area, a top official of SKS said.
"We bought this land after clearance from surveyors of the DC office, but still, if the BIWTA demarcates the river, we will comply with it and remove (he encroachment," the official said requesting anonymity.
His comment came following a series of reports published in The daily Star since Tuesday. The reports said SKS is filling up 2.15 acres of Buriganga river at Shyampur Bazar near Posto-
Tlufilie l^TW'lA will haw (<> ensure minimum five feet water
draft so that barges can anchor to load and unload goods," he said emphasising on immediate dredging of the river.
The official claimed that the SKS installation at Shyampur Bazar did not encroach upon the navigational channel of the river. During dry season, he said, the area remains dry and it is impossible for ships to berth.
"Yes. in the process we failed to seek permission from some departments prior to launching (he project. ‘ he said.
"We have to do business round the year and river transport is the cheapest means of lransporting goods. We will hav^ to ensure that slriHS can berth at a suitable place." he said explaining why they had to expand into the river water.
"Our ownership of the land allows us to enter another 120 feet into the river but we did not do that for the sake of the river," the official said.
Chief of Anny Staff Lt. Gen. Mustafizur Rahman in an interview with the BBC yesterday said that the SKS installation was set up as per land documents dating back to the British period. He said, as far his knowledge goes, the SKS project did not encroach upon the Buriganga river.
Another official source disclosed that the government has finalised plans to acquire about 50 acres of "foreshore" area of Buriganga to expand Water Engineering facilities of the armed forces at Postogola.
Several illegal encroachers on the river at Shyampur said that last year, they were asked by the army to wind up their businesses In two years. One Mannan of a brick and sand trading company told this correspondent that he heard that the army would build facilities to expand the “cantonment" at Postogola.
The SKS encroachment on the river Is barely half a kilometre from the army engineering facility.
Meanwhile, the inquiry committee formed by the Department of Environment (DoE) was sitting idle with its findings The Director General of DoE was "too busy elsewhere" throughout the day yesterday and could not sit with the committee members to decide a course ol action against the SKS and other encroachers ol the river.
But a DoE source said the committee has detected 'serious encroachment" on the river Buriganga. which obstructs water How as well as navigation.
"Time has come to remove all (he encroachments and free it from the clutches." said a DoE official.