
Speakers at a human chain yesterday demanded for special allocation in the upcoming budget to protect the Buriganga, Shitalaksha, Turag and Balu rivers — the lifelines of the city.
They also demanded the government take a 100-day programme immediately to save the rivers.
Save the Buriganga Movement, Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Nirbheek jointly organised the programme at 10:30am in Swarighat area.
The speakers said the authorities remain inactive when the rivers are being grabbed and polluted indiscriminately. The drives to recover the rivers are often halted midway of the recovery programme for unknown reasons.
They stressed the need to take sustainable development programme and its implementation by using land, water and manpower resources properly.
The government’s indifferent attitude towards healthy environment, indecision, weakness, corruption and lack of coordination contribute to the destruction of rivers, continuous pollution and scarcity of pure drinking water, they said.
The rivers surrounding the capital now make the mega city most polluted, stinky, dirty and unliveable place in the world, they added.
The speakers further said that protecting the rivers from encroachment and pollution is a must to save the life and livelihood of the people and biodiversity.
They also recommended that the owners of different industries be forced to use Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to stop industrial waste emissions, while Dhaka City Corporation, Wasa and other organisations should be restricted from throwing waste to the rivers.
The Water Bodies Act 2000 should be implemented strictly and the Buriganga Taskforce be activated in this regard, the speakers added.
Former adviser to a caretaker government ASM Shahjahan, General Secretary of Bapa Dr Mohammad Abdul Matin, ATM Kamal of Nirbheek, Mihir Biswas, Taksim A Khan, Sharif Jamil and Ashraf Amir Ullah also spoke