& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Proposed DAP only to serve purpose of housing cos

Say Urban planners, architects, environmentalists

Staff Correspondent
The proposed Detail Area Plan (DAP) of Dhaka metropolitan city will only serve the purpose of housing companies and endanger the well-being of future generations.
Urban planners, architects and environmentalists said this yesterday at a view exchange meeting where they also demanded that the time for review of the plan be extended for at least three months before its approval.
Rajuk organised the meeting at its auditorium as the plan is scheduled to be approved today.
The experts said DAP will go in favour of land grabbers filling up water bodies and occupying open spaces. It has not mentioned any illegal housing projects developed in the flood flow zones in and around the city.
"All the housing projects which are facing legal battle will get legitimacy if the draft DAP gets approval," said Dr Ishrat Islam who gave a presentation on the proposed DAP on behalf of five organisations --Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa), Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers' .Association (BELA). Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Institute of Architects, Bangladesh (LAB) and Centre for Urban Studies (CUS).
A technical committee should be formed to properly review DAP and seek experts' recommendations before its finalisation, Bapa President Prof Muzaffer Ahmad said.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director (programmes) of BEIA. said one of the four consulting firms, which has prepared DAP, is a developer. So, they prepared the plan with a view to serving the interest of developers.
Besides, the proposed DAP is inconsistent with Wetland and Open Space Protection Act 2000, Bangladesh Environmental Protection Act 1995, Building Construction Rules 2007 and Private Housing Project Land Development Rules 2004, shesaid.
Speaking as the chief guest, Housing and Public Works Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader said the government will take the views of die experts into consideration and try to work out an acceptable solution.
In her presentation. Dr Ishrat Islam said that although sub flood flow zone is identified in the structure plan of Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP), it has been dropped from the proposed DAP.
In the proposed DAR agricultural land has been defined as 'Agriculture with rural homestead', which put the agricul-
tural land under threat of encroachment. Also, flood flow zone and agriculture land of DMDP was identified as urban residential zone and agriculture with rural homestead, she said.
Even Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in its study proposed that 12 percent of total land area should be designated as retention ponds, but DAP proposes only 5.05 percent of total embankment area of Dhaka, she added.
Ishrat said proposed retention ponds in DAP have already been filled up by developers while it is still possible to designate higher percentage of retention pond areas there.
She demanded immediate restoration of land use classification according to DMDP.
She said a technical committee comprising professionals/planners and representatives from civil society should be entrusted with the task of reviewing DAI’ in the light of DMDP policies to rectify the flaws in DAP.
Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, Prof Nazrul Islam. Dr Rokshana Hafiz, housing and public works secretary ASM Rashidul Hai, Rajuk Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam, BIP President Prof Sarwar Jahan, architect Iqbal Habib, Dr Rahmatullah, Dr Golam Rahman and Dr Mohshin also spoke at the meeting.