Body formed to identify water bodies

The government has formed a six-member committee to identify water bodies and water reservoirs within Eastern Housing Ltd's project in Aftabnagar and Banasree in Dhaka and measure their sizes.

The environment and forests ministry constituted the body on June 26 in line with a Supreme Court directive.

Following an appeal moved by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), the apex court on May 20 asked the ministry to submit a report to it on the number and sizes within 45 days of forming the committee.

The committee members are Md Nurul Karim, additional secretary to the ministry; Md Sirajul Islam, director (planning), Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha; Prof Sarwar Jahan, urban and regional planning department, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association; Md Abul Hossain, surveyor, Dhaka settlement office; and Atique Morshed, coordinator, Poribesh Bachao Andolon, according to a ministry circular.

In the circular, the ministry asked the committee to submit a report to it in 30 days after conducting an inquiry on the spot.

HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid, who received a copy of the circular from the ministry yesterday, told The Daily Star that on getting the report, he would submit it to the High Court for its directive on the government to protect and preserve the water bodies and reservoirs.

Earlier on May 10, the HC rejected a writ petition of HRPB that sought its directive on the government over the identification and measurement.