Move to save city water bodies
Construction work is going on to build a building on a pond at Agrabad Badamtali in the port city.Photo: STAR
Initiative has been taken to save the water bodies that have been disappearing fast from the city due to unplanned urbanisation and for lack of proper monitoring.
As per instruction of Department of Environment (DoE), the Chittagong divisional office has started testing water of the water bodies in the port city from April 15.
Alongside creating awareness among the users of the water bodies, the DoE will go tough on those who will fill up and encroach on the water bodies, sources in DoE said.
They said the location and size of the existing dighis (big ponds) and ponds will also be identified and steps will also be taken to conserve them properly.
DoE Chittagong Acting Director Mostafizur Rahman Akhand said they have been asked by the head office to save the water bodies and test water of them for the sake of people's health and ensure ecological balance.
He said it requires 25 percent open space including vegetation to maintain the ecological balance in any metropolitan area.
He said water bodies in Chittagong city are disappearing fast due to lack of awareness, renovation and proper monitoring by the authorities concerned alongside increasing demand of land for housing.
He said as part of their programme they will meet the government and non-government organisations concerned soon to know the actual scenario of water bodies and find out way to save them.
They have tested water of around 30 dighis and ponds in the city last year and found serious pollution in them, he said, adding that also tested water of them this year and the result of the test will be available by this week.
According to sources in Chittagong Development Authority (CDA), 4,523 water bodies were found in the port city during the formulation of the Detail Area Plan (DAP) in 2006-2007, including 508 ponds on above 0.5 acres of land. The DAP recommended to retain the ponds.
After formulation of the DAP, no survey was conducted in recent times to identify the actual number of the water bodies while filling of them continues unabated by a section of dishonest land owners for commercial and residential purposes, said the sources.
Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Chittagong Chapter President Engineer Ali Ashraf expressed his concern over rampant filling of the water bodies in the port city, saying that the condition will create various problems on environment.
Lack of water body in the city will result in shortage of surface water that people can use as an alternative if arsenic is found in the ground water, he said.
Besides, the ponds are important source of water for the fire fighters during any incident of fire as the city lacks fire hydrant in the streets and the fire fighters cannot fight with fire for long time with the waters they bring in their vehicles, he added.
“Apart from ensuring the open space, the ponds contain a good quantity of water during heavy rainfall decreasing pressure on the drains to reduce waterlogging,” he said.
He emphasised the need for immediate steps to save the remaining water bodies from the vested quarters.
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