Take steps to protect 4 waterbodies in Savar: HC to govt

The High Court today directed the government to take necessary steps to protect and save four water bodies -- Raghil, Dholai, Pakuria and Kornapara khal in Savar -- from pollution and damage.

The court also asked the Department of Environment (DoE) to submit a report on the situation of the waterbodies and its water to it in every six months.

The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam came up with the directives following a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) in 2011, seeking necessary directives on the government to protect the waterbodies.

Details of the observations and grounds on which the HC bench delivered the verdict could not be known immediately as its full text was not released yet.

Petitioner's lawyer Syeda Rezwana Hasan told The Daily Star that around 32 industries, most of which have no environmental clearance certificates, have been polluting the four water bodies by dumping hazardous and toxic wastages into them.

Therefore, the local environment and ecological system and public life are being affected seriously, she added.

Lawyer Sayeed Ahmed Kabir also appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Wayes Al Haroni represented the state.