Govt move to recover city wetlands fails

Nirapad Development Foundation forms a human chain in front of the National Press Club in the city yesterday demanding demarcation of all the city water bodies and canals and eviction of encroachers from there.Photo: STAR

The government has failed to demarcate the boundaries of wetlands in the capital and its surrounding areas in last one year, speakers told an event yesterday.
They said the government and authorities concerned were active during last one year to recover the canals and wetlands from grabbers. But they have virtually lost to an invisible force, they added.
The remarks came from the event on drawing maps of wetlands and canals in the capital and its environs, says a press release.
Nirapad Development Foundation and Campaign for Development Foundation jointly organised it at National Press Club premises.
Some youths drew the maps in protest of the government's failure to demarcate the wetlands despite various attempts in last one year.
The discussants said existence of human civilisation in the city and its neighbouring areas will be destroyed if the wetlands in the areas cease to exist.
There were once 43 canals in Dhaka city, but 25 canals have disappeared in the last three decades while width of existing canals has been squeezed due to encroaching, they added.
The authorities' negligence to the canals and the government's failure are the main reasons behind loss of the wetlands, observed the speakers.
Muhsin Tutul of Campaign for Development Foundation, KM Rokibul Islam of PSS, and Nasima Akhter Lipi of Nirapad Development Foundation, among others, were present.