Save Turag before it dies

A judicial probe conducted recently has rightly urged the relevant authorities to remove all illegal structures from the Turag river. After so many years of encroachment and pollution, the state of the river Turag—as well as Shitalakhya and Buriganga—has come to their present pathetic condition. These rivers have become narrow and shallow; pollution level of its water is so high that their waters have lost natural colour and become jet black; and there is hardly any aquatic life in them. It is no surprise that the judicial inquiry found that illegal occupation and pollution are hastening the death of the river. During the rainy season we get a somewhat heartening picture of Turag, but during the dry season it looks a like a drain.

We know that these rivers are being polluted and encroached upon for many years, but who is responsible for this continuation of pollution and encroachment? Polluters will pollute the environment and encroachers will occupy the property of the state or the people, but we have our state mechanism to prevent this trend. And it is because of the failure of those who are entrusted for protecting these invaluable properties of the state, Turag and other two rivers have come to their present condition.

The administration will have to take blame for it first. If it continuously points out that encroachers and polluters are influential people of society and leave the rivers to their present state, we finally could not save these rivers, let alone achieving the goal of bringing them back to their natural state. And the judicial enquiry report has rightly pointed out that if the authorities want to save the Turag and environment, they should take immediate steps to remove all illegal structures and curb pollution. The occupiers have become so daring that now they are building illegal structures inside the Turag that flows from Dhaka to Gazipur.

The High Court bench that ordered the investigation also issued a rule asking why the administration’s inaction regarding the filling up of the river would not be considered illegal. That is the point. Now it is very sad that our administration often only moves when the court of law urges them to do what is necessary. But it is the expectation of people that administration will act on its own as the law of the land demands. Saving our rivers is not a legal problem, yet the court has to intervene for protection of our natural assets. Shouldn’t the administration come to their sense and do what is their duty? 

Save Turag before it dies

A judicial probe conducted recently has rightly urged the relevant authorities to remove all illegal structures from the Turag river. After so many years of encroachment and pollution, the state of the river Turagas well as Shitalakhya and Burigangahas come to their present pathetic condition. These rivers have become narrow and shallow; pollution level of its water is so high that their waters have lost natural colour and become jet black; and there is hardly any aquatic life in them. It is no surprise that the judicial inquiry found that illegal occupation and pollution are hastening the death of the river. During the rainy season we get a somewhat heartening picture of Turag, but during the dry season it looks a like a drain. We know that these rivers are being polluted and encroached upon for many years, but who is responsible for this continuation of pollution and encroachment? Polluters will pollute the environment and encroachers will occupy the property of the state or the people, but we have our state mechanism to prevent this trend. And it is because of the failure of those who are entrusted for protecting these invaluable properties of the state, Turag and other two rivers have come to their present condition. The administration will have to take blame for it first. If it continuously points out that encroachers and polluters are influential people of society and leave the rivers to their present state, we finally could not save these rivers, let alone achieving the goal of bringing them back to their natural state. And the judicial enquiry report has rightly pointed out that if the authorities want to save the Turag and environment, they should take immediate steps to remove all illegal structures and curb pollution. The occupiers have become so daring that now they are building illegal structures inside the Turag that flows from Dhaka to Gazipur. The High Court bench that ordered the investigation also issued a rule asking why the administrations inaction regarding the filling up of the river would not be considered illegal. That is the point. Now it is very sad that our administration often only moves when the court of law urges them to do what is necessary. But it is the expectation of people that administration will act on its own as the law of the land demands. Saving our rivers is not a legal problem, yet the court has to intervene for protection of our natural assets. Shouldnt the administration come to their sense and do what is their duty?