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Protect our rivers at all costs

Inaction of the authorities unacceptable
23 September 2019, 18:00 PM
UPDATED 24 September 2019, 02:30 AM
EDITORIAL
Rivers.jpg
A piece of land created by filling up part of the Turag river. The photo was taken recently from the Birulia bridge over the river on the outskirts of Dhaka. Photo: Rashed Sumon
While we observed World Rivers Day on September 22 with the high hopes of saving our rivers across the country, the fact remains that those entrusted with the responsibility to save our rivers actually did very little to stop pollution, encroachment and destruction of
While we observed World Rivers Day on September 22 with the high hopes of saving our rivers across the country, the fact remains that those entrusted with the responsibility to save our rivers actually did very little to stop pollution, encroachment and destruction of the rivers. Despite the landmark verdict given by the High Court declaring rivers "living entities", continuous reporting by the media on the conditions of our rivers, enactment of laws, and even directives by the prime minister, river grabbing continues unabated. The National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) chairman has rightly said that the rivers are victims of greed of the wealthy grabbers, who are politically and socially powerful, and blessed by the government's executive machinery.

However, it is good to learn that the district authorities have already started listing the river grabbers, as directed by the HC in February this year. Already, the deputy commissioners of 60 districts have submitted their reports to the NRCC. Now that we have a list of the river grabbers, we hope that these people will be prosecuted according to our law. A special tribunal can be set up to punish these offenders.

According to the HC orders, the Election Commission is supposed to make the river grabbers ineligible for contesting any elections and the Bangladesh Bank is to make them ineligible for bank loans. If they comply with the HC orders, a lot of progress can be made in protecting our rivers.

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But above all, the NRCC should be empowered enough to do its job. Making recommendations should not be the commission's only job. It should be given executive power and enough fund to carry out its activities. Currently, it does not have the authority to hold government officials accountable for ignoring river conservation. It can just file cases against the river grabbers and report to the HC on non-compliance of court orders. In order to empower the commission, the relevant laws should be amended, as was directed by the HC.
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