Masterplan to Save Dhaka, Ctg Rivers: Demarcation to be completed by 2022

As per a masterplan for saving rivers in and around Dhaka and Chattogram cities, the government from January 2026 would start relocating factories that discharge liquid waste to a special zone.

The zone would have facilities to treat their discharge and ensure the factories use environment-friendly technologies from 2030, according to the plan documents this paper obtained.  

The plan also fixed December 2021 for the authorities concerned to complete demarcation of the rivers and identify legal issues, if any, for stopping river grabbing and maintaining navigability. 

In Dhaka, the rivers are: The Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, Turag, Balu, Shitalakkhya, Pungli and Tongi canal.

The Karnaphuli and the Halda in Chattogram will get the masterplan's protection. 

For achieving the goals, it drew up a roadmap with deadlines for different government agencies and ministries. The masterplan sets short-, mid- and long-term work and goals.

Several agencies and ministries would work under the supervision of a 25-member committee led by the LGRD minister, according to the documents. Some of the work would be monitored directly by the Prime Minister's Office, the documents read.  

Since January, the authorities have started identifying the reasons, types, and sources of river pollution. They would continue their work until December 2021.

In 2007, the government and the World Bank jointly conducted a study which found that around 7,000 industries in and around the capital were discharging 1.5 million cubic metres of liquid waste into the rivers every day.

It also found that 61 percent of the liquid waste was from factories and the rest from homes. 

By 2022, the government plans to demarcate the rivers as per the documents available at the land record office, district administration office, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), and Chattogram Development Authorities (CDA).

It plans to evict grabbers after demarcation but continue the effort. 

However, eviction of already identified river grabbers and closure of factories polluting the rivers have begun, according to the documents.   

As per a recent report of the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), there are 49,162 river grabbers in the country. The report did not mention river and canal grabbers in the capital. 

Within the the first few months of this year, the committee would decide if existing laws need amending to protect the rivers. 

Between 2022 and 2025, the law; environment, forest and climate change; LGRD; and industries ministries will complete formulating laws and guidelines, if required, for protecting the rivers. 

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), and Chattogram Port Authority have been dredging rivers for maintaining navigability. 

The NRCC; the Department of Environment; the CDA; Dhaka and Chattogram Wasa; three city corporations concerned; Rajuk; Dhaka and Chattogram district administrations; the directorate of land record and survey; industries, water resources, shipping, law, land, environment, forest and climate change, fisheries and LGRD ministries; Bangladesh Inland Transport Authority(BIWTA), BWDB, Chattogram Port Authority and the police would be involved in saving the rivers. 

Recently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the masterplan to free all major rivers in and around Dhaka and Chattogram cities from encroachment and pollution by 2030.

Hasina also directed all concerned to work to this effect "without any delay", a top official at the LGRD ministry told The Daily Star.

"We started our work around three months ago. We have already distributed jobs among ministries and departments," LGRD Minister Tajul Islam told this newspaper after the committee met at the Secretariat on Sunday. 

"Now they are preparing action plans and working on the budget required to implement the masterplan."