57,390 grabbers feast on 770 rivers
As many as 57,390 individuals and organisations grabbed the country's 770 rivers.
Of them, 18,579 have been evicted in the last one year by deputy commissioners of different districts.
The National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) yesterday came up with the latest development on river grabbing and eviction at a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping.
Ruling Awami League MP and chairman of the committee presided over the meeting at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
NRCC Chairman Dr Muzibur Rahman Howlader told The Daily Star after the meeting that one of the reasons why the eviction drives couldn't achieve the desired goal was that at least 10 percent of the encroachers were locally and politically influential people.
Insufficient funding and inadequacy of logistics support for the DCs are also responsible for this.
The NRCC in its report submitted to the parliamentary body said large structures were built inside the rivers and river banks in every division, but those could not be demolished because the encroachers had muscle power and influence.
In the report, NRCC also said different government structures also couldn't be removed despite repeated attempts.
Dr Muzibur, however, told this correspondent that: "Despite the limitations, the eviction activities will continue and we will not bow down to any influential quarters."
He also said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given them clear instructions to carry out the activities to save the country's rivers through evicting the river grabbers.
"Therefore, we don't have any reason to step back from the ongoing eviction programmes no matter how much influence the persons and organisations have," the NRCC boss added.
The NRCC in its report mentioned names of many individuals and organisations that grabbed the rivers.
The Daily Star withheld their names in this report because they couldn't be reached for comments.
According to documents placed in the meeting, the number of grabbers in Dhaka division is 8,890. Of them, 7,387 have been evicted. The rate of eviction is 83.09 percent.
The Lobondoho river that flows through Gazipur city has narrowed like a ditch due to encroachment, the report said.
In the meeting, the JS body emphasised removing polythene from the bottom of the Buriganga.
The committee recommended the ministry to start the activities urgently with proper dredgers.
The committee asked the NRCC to take measures so that the High Court takes necessary steps to expedite the disposal of river occupants' appeals.
It was recommended at the meeting that the NRCC and BIWTA should take steps to recover the expenditure from the concerned persons and institutions during the eviction drive.
According to the NRCC report, the number of total grabbers in Mymensingh division is 4,848 and 1,713 have been evicted.
In Chattogram, the number of grabbers is 18,537 while the number of evictions is 1,351.
At least 12,007 individuals and organisations have grabbed rivers in Khulna and the number of evictions is 5,609.
The number of grabbers in Sylhet division is 2,044 while the eviction rate is 17.9 percent.
In Barishal, 5,611 individuals and organisations grabbed the rivers and DCs of different districts evicted 793 grabbers.
In Rajshahi, the number of grabbers is 2,693 and 336 were evicted so far.
Deputy commissioners of different districts under Rangpur Division so far evicted 1,023 individuals and organisations. The number of grabbers is 2,707.
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