Dumping in Buriganga: Wasa MD not complying intentionally

The High Court yesterday observed that the managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) is intentionally not implementing a 2011 directive asking it to seal off drains and sewerage lines linked to the Buriganga.

The court said the Wasa MD has been violating his commitment and is delaying compliance with the directives by submitting different affidavits and seeking time from the court.

Issuing a caution to Wasa MD Taqsem A Khan, the HC directed him to properly implement its directives and to submit a compliance report within a month.

The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah had passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by rights organisation Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) in May 2010 seeking necessary directives to seal off drains and sewerage lines connected to the Buriganga to protect it from pollution.

The bench set October 18 as the date to pass further orders on this issue.

HRPB's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that the Wasa MD had appeared before the HC bench on March 4 this year and apologised for not implementing the 2011 directives.

The MD had submitted an undertaking to the HC saying that he would take steps to fully comply with the directives.

However, Taqsem had submitted three confusing reports to the HC on August 18, September 7 and yesterday through his lawyer Umme Salma.

In the reports, he said Wasa has sealed off four sewerage lines at Hazaribagh area but cannot seal off lines in Shyampur due to floods. But there is no flooding in Shyampur, Murshid, also the president of HRPB, said.

He added that the Wasa MD in a report had said his office could not implement the directives due to a manpower crisis.

During today's hearing, Murshid told the HC that pollution of Buriganga's water is not being stopped due to noncompliance of the HC's 2011 directives.

Dhaka Wasa has failed to discharge its duty in saving the Buriganga from pollution, he argued.

On December 2 last year, the HC bench ordered Dhaka Wasa to properly implement its directives and to submit the progress report.

On the same day, Dhaka Wasa submitted an undertaking to the HC that said it would seal off all its drains and sewerage lines connected to the Buriganga and would file a progress report every month.

He submitted a report before the HC on December 2, saying that there were 67 underground drains and sewerage lines connected to the river. But on June 18 last year, he reported that no such lines were there.

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) had earlier submitted a compliance report to the HC bench stating that 68 underground drains and sewerage lines were linked to the Buriganga.

On December 2 last year, the HC bench observed that Dhaka Wasa was responsible for controlling the 68 underground drains and sewerage lines and Dhaka city corporations were responsible for the surface pipelines.