Plans are underway to enliven the Balu river in the eastern part of the city and start a Dhaka Circular Waterway comprising five more rivers.

A Task Force, formed to protect the rivers, visited the Balu and Sitalakhya rivers yesterday and later held a meeting on a BIWTA survey vessel. Eminent citizens, ministers and top officials saw to what extent the water of the 22.5 kilometre Balu was polluted. The water, emitting unbearable stench, looked like discarded engine oil.

Chaired by the Minister for Shipping Col (retd) Akbar Hossain and attended by members of the Task Force and top government officials, the meeting discussed various problems of the

whole scheme.

The government is planning the 110-kilometre comprising Buriganga, Turag, Tongi Khal, Balu, Sitalakhya and Dhaleswari rivers. The BIWTA has already started installing pontoons at different spots of the rivers for water vessels to ply. The meeting discussed how permanent navigability could be brought back to these rivers along which millions of people live.

A hydraugraphy chart of Balu was completed in 1991 and the authorities are now in a position to demarcate the whole area and protect it from encroachment.

They said LGED's bridges over Balu have been built without considering navigability. They said during flood

season, passage under the Demra bridge becomes so narrow that navigation becomes impossible. The underconstruction bridge at Isapur in Khilkhet will also cause such problem.

The Task Force decided to ask the LGED to change the plans of the bridges as per BIWTA specification.

The meeting was informed that the Chief of Army Staff had formally requested the Ministry of Shipping not to evict army structures along the river shore at Ali Baharer Char until the case is resolved in court.

The Task Force however decided to invite the Defense Secretary and the Chief of Army Staff to a meeting and solve the problem through discussion.

Officials said that the water of Balu has been extremely polluted as

untreated industrial and human wastes flow into it, threatening not only public health but also the ecology.

To contain the pollution, Dhaka WASA and all the industrial units will be given ultimatum to set up lagoons or treatment plants, they said.

Land Ministry officials pointed out that while surveying the river shores in three different moujas in Keraniganj area, they came under resistance from local people, who claimed ownership of the lands and showed "proper documents of tax payment".

The Task Force decided to involve the local lawmaker to solve the problem. They said the Task Force will ensure a minimum river channel of 100 meters under any circumstances.