Three govt ponds being gobbled up in Kalapara

Influential locals have long been encroaching on three large government ponds in Mohipur union of Kalapara upazila and the union land office made a list of 52 grabbers in August last year.

But the encroachment has been going on openly as the authorities failed to take any action against the encroachers.

According to the list, 31 individuals are responsible for encroachment on Kalibari pond 1, 17 people on Kalibari pond 2 and four are encroaching on Kachari Bari pond -- all in Mohipur Bazar, a fishing dock near Kuakata sea beach.   

With more than 10 thousand business establishments and houses already in the Bazar area, new structures, including permanent concrete ones, continue to spring up every day by filling up the ponds from all sides.

Aside from the encroachment, unabated dumping of both solid and liquid waste turned the ponds into open landfills that are now breeding grounds of mosquitoes.

Locals said years ago, freshwater from the ponds were used by locals for bathing and other household needs. Sitting around the banks of the ponds with family members were their favourite pastime too.

But now, concealed behind all sorts of shops and houses, the polluted ponds are considered nothing but eyesores and source of nuisance, many of them said frustratingly.

While visiting the area recently, this correspondent noticed a concrete building being constructed inside a substantial portion of one of the government ponds. Right in front of it, a sign stated that the property was purchased by Nurul Haq and Mohammad Sahid.

Asked, Nurul Haq claimed that they had purchased the piece of land on the pond, 10 yards in length and width, for Tk 4 lakh from one Mohammad Salim two years ago. 

He even claimed that they would soon get official land records of the property from the land office in Mohipur union. 

This correspondent made several calls on Nurul Haq's business partner Sahid's cell phone for his comments, but he did not respond.  

Saying that the encroachers continue to occupy the three ponds as they have great influence in the area, Sub-Assistant Land Officer in Mohipur union Azizur Rahman said the list containing names of the 52 illegal occupiers of the ponds was sent to the office of assistant commissioner (land) in Kalapara upazila six months ago.

Contacted, Munibur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer of Kalapara, acknowledged the receipt of the list and said no one would be allowed to encroach on government land and they would take all necessary action against such offenders.

They would conduct drives to demolish all structures that were built illegally on the ponds, he added.