NOW that the Appellate Division of the High Court has dismissed seven appeals filed by seven commercial firms against earlier judicial orders to knock down illegally built structures on four rivers, we feel encouraged and indeed uplifted in spirit. That the path is now clear for the authorities to evict every unauthorized structure from around the Sitalakhya, Balu, Turag and Buriganga means that there is once more an opportunity for the rivers to be restored to their normal flow in the greater public interest. The sooner steps are taken to correct conditions, the better for the country. And we say that because all these months we have heard of several prime ministerial instructions as also judicial directives on a freeing of the rivers, all to no avail because of both the impunity with which the grabbers have acted and the recourse to legality they have taken.

Now that all impediments to a reclaiming of the rivers have been removed by the SC judgment, we believe that the authorities must move in earnest and swiftly on how best to return the rivers to the people and ensure that they are henceforth kept that way. The first step in this direction is to draw up plans for quick cleaning up operations on the rivers. That is because over the years it has not just been illegal structures but other materials as well which have narrowed and blocked the smooth flow of the waters of the river. The brazenness with which the rivers went under individual occupation almost choked the life out of the nation's capital, since these rivers have traditionally been a lifeline for the city. Simply stated, encroachments must not be allowed to play with the city and its vibrancy again. The SC decision must, therefore, be followed by tough measures to see that it is enforced. All too often, it has been seen that grabbers find an insidious way of coming back to the territory they once commandeered. In the light of the SC judgment, it must be ensured that such a situation does not again come to pass.

The onus is now on the government to bring the rivers back to throbbing life. For that to be done, certain essential conditions must be met. In the first place, an immediate survey must be undertaken to ascertain the actual condition of the rivers at present. In the second, as a follow-up, immediate work must begin on a cleaning up of the rivers, through freeing them of all the waste and effluents dumped into them over a long period of time. That leads to the third step, namely, a comprehensive dredging of the rivers in question. All said and done, there remains the question of what one does with the garbage retrieved from the rivers. Obviously, it has to be placed in an area that does not affect life negatively. Even better, means could be explored to recycle the waste. And lest we forget, all effluent disgorging industries must be moved away from the rivers, with their own effluent treatment plants in operation.

In simple, unambiguous terms, a sense of total commitment and purposefulness must now come into returning the rivers where they belong, in this case the people.