BIWTA seeks indemnity against cases
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has requested indemnity from around 300 cases filed against it by vested quarters in order to protect the countrys rivers. Besides, the BIWTA is yet to accept around 4,500 pillars built by the district administration as they have not been installed in proper places to demarcate the city rivers. The government should take a concrete decision on the cases against BIWTA that have been filed by various vested quarters to grab river banks. We want indemnity against these cases. Besides, a policy should be formulated so that no one could file river-related cases, BIWTA chairman Commodore M Mozammel Huq told reporters at its Motijheel office yesterday.
The people are the owners of the countrys rivers, he said. Describing the various development projects in keeping with Vision 2041, Huq said: Weve taken up about various projects worth Tk. 20,000 crore, including the development of river ports, dredging, procurement of dredgers, construction of ferry terminals and inland container terminals.
When asked about the finance and implementation of these projects, Huq said: Weve no problems with funds. The finance ministry will look after the matter. Weve taken up the projects as per the Prime Ministers directives to restore the rivers within the next seven years.
Terming the current budget allocation as the lowest for the BIWTA, Huq said: The government allocated Tk. 197 billion for roads, Tk. 64 billion for rail and Tk. 11 billion for the BIWTA in 2017. In 2018, the allocations are Tk. 234 billion, Tk. 76 billion and Tk. 14 billion for road, rail and the BIWTA respectively.
The budgetary allocation must increase to protect the rivers and waterways, he added. He also said that the district administration had installed pillars demarcating the city rivers, but most of them were not installed properly. The district administration was trading in the name of installation the pillars. Weve examined 33 pillars on a pilot basis and found that they were installed at the wrong places. At least 56 buildings are identified on the river. If all the pillars are examined, more illegal structures will be detected, he said in reply to a query.
The BIWTA proposed to construct 9,000 pillars permanently, and a proposal in this regard has recently been sent to the ministry concerned for approval, Huq noted.
Besides, at least 45 religious structures are on the banks of the Buriganga and Turag, he said. Huq, however, said 1500-tonne two salvage vessels would be procured to enhance the rescue fleet.
Currently, we need around 200 dredgers to restore the rivers and waterways. The BIWTA has now 25 dredgers, the Bangladesh Water Development Board 35 dredgers and the private sector 50 dredgers. Its very difficult to maintain the waterways with such a small number of dredgers, he added.
The BIWTA has already invited tenders for 20 dredgers, Huq said, adding that 10 dredgers are now being constructed. Dredging work on the 110-km waterways will be inaugurated on November 5 to carry heavy equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, he said.
