Home ›› 31 May 2022 ›› Nation
Day after day, illegally constructed cement factories, shipyards, oil depots, fish market wastes, and pharmaceutical wastes pollute the water of the Kirtankhola River, while the administration remains silent.
Due to illegal establishments on the banks, the river adjacent to Barishal city is becoming narrower and the water is becoming unfit for use.
One of the major pharmaceutical factories dumping waste in Kirtankhola is Global Capsule. The factory is located right on the bank of the river, and they do not have a waste treatment plant.
Every day, five million pieces of hard gelatin capsules and 100kg of hard cell grade gelatin are produced in the factory. And the liquid waste generated from the large-scale production is discharged into the river Kirtankhola afterwards.
Another pharmaceutical company, Chemist Laboratory, which is located in the city’s College Road, also dumps its untreated waste in the river through the city corporation sewerage.
Similarly, the wastes of Opsonin Pharma located in Bogra Road, Refco Laboratories and Indobangla Pharmaceuticals on New Bazar Road go to Kirtankhola in the same manner.
Besides, cement factories, shipbuilding establishments, oil depots, and fish market wastes are also polluting the water of Kirtankhola on a regular basis.
An official of the Department of Environment, Barishal Divisional Office, validated the information about the pollution of the Kirtankhola River.
Along with pollution, the river is endangered by more than three hundred land-grabbers building unplanned establishments on the bank. Around 26 acres of land on the river bank have been illegally occupied by them.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), district administration, and Department of Environment (DoE) show no concern related to evicting them.
According to official sources, BIWTA has owned about 37 acres of foreshore north and south of the port since the establishment of the Barishal River Rort in 1960.
However, influential locals have gradually occupied land on the riverbank and built various illegal establishments there over the years.
Local sources said land grabbers are operating freely as the district administration and BIWTA have not redefined the boundaries of their respective lands in over a decade.
In the early 2000s, BIWTA and the land department of the district administration listed more than five hundred illegal establishments.
Two eviction cases were also filed during that time, but the cases did not see the light of day.
Most recently, in 2014, BIWTA compiled a list of 306 landgrabbers who set up permanent and temporary structures on the banks of the river.
Speaking on the matter, BIWTA Barishal Port Officer (Deputy Director) Md Mostafizur Rahman said legal action can not be taken against the land grabbers before the border is redefined.
In 2019, the district administration formed a committee to demarcate rivers and canals. But for various reasons, including the manpower crisis, no progress has been made.
Kazi Enayet Hossain Shiplu, member secretary of the Barisal River-Canal Protection Movement Committee, said most of the structures built along the banks of the Kirtankhola were illegal.
He complained that the DoE has not taken any action to prevent water pollution. “Illegal waste dumping is polluting the river. In order to protect Kirtankhola, the concerned administration should take effective steps now to prevent land grabbing and pollution,” he said.
Barisal City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Syed Mohammad Farooq said a case is ongoing between BIWTA and Barishal City Corporation about redefining the border.
Evicting the illegal occupants is not possible before both administrations determine the boundaries of their respective lands. Director of DoE, Barishal, Mohammad Abdul Halim said evicting illegal occupants does not fall under their jurisdiction.
“However, the DoE has taken action against the organisations polluting the river water,” he said.
Barishal Deputy Commissioner Jasim Uddin Haider said that according to the eviction policy, it is the responsibility of the administration that owns the land to evict illegal occupants. However, the district administration will help if any obstacles arise during the eviction.
