Govt moves to right flaws in DAP

The government has formed an expert committee to review the proposed Detailed Area Plan (DAP) within the next 30 days and recommend ways to correct its flaws and make it suitable from both housing and environmental points of view.
The timetable to finalise the DAP has also been extended by another six months.
The 12-member committee, comprising urban experts and environmentalists, was formed on January 1.
Floated in 2004, the DAP was scheduled to be finalised by December 31, 2008. However, it was the plan could not be finalised as it was recast several times.
Experts and environmentalists have earlier raised strong objections about the DAP citing some serious flaws in it, which they said would have a terrible impact on urban life and the environment.
They also complained that the DAP appeared to have been prepared in such way that it would only serve the purposes of real estate developers.
Many areas identified as flood flow zones and sub-flood flow zones in the structure plan of DMDP would come under housing areas in the DAP, they pointed out.
Meanwhile, DAP project director Tapan Kumar Nath said yesterday, “The expert committee headed by Professor Jamilur Reza Choudhury will begin their job in a day or two.”
Kumar told The Daily Star that the committee has been asked to submit its report within a month, after which the DAP will be finalised.
Architect Iqbal Habin, joint secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) has however said 30 days is not sufficient time conduct a proper review of the plan. He said the committee should be given at least 3 months time to be able to carry out a proper review.
Five organisation, Bapa, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), Bangladesh Institute of Architect and Centre for Urban Studies at a meeting in the presence of housing and public works advisor Major Genl (Retd) Ghulam Quader on December 23, 2008 last demanded that at least 3 months time is given for a proper review of the proposed DAP.
Dr Ishrat Islam who made a presentation on behalf of the five organisations at that meeting had said at the time that the sub-flood flow zone as identified in the structure plan of Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan (DMDP) had been changed or omitted in the proposed DAP.
Also, DAP had defined agricultural land as 'Agriculture with Rural Homestead' land that put the agricultural land under threat of encroachment, she said.
Kumar, however said yesterday that a month's time is enough to review the works given to the committee.
The expert committee will review the proposals of DAP and will them with the two other plans under the DMDP -- the Urban Area Plan and Structure Plan, he said.
The committee will also review strategies for the planning standards and their implementation.
The members of the expert committee are Professor Dr Muzaffer Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon, Prof Dr Sarowar Jahana, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Prof Dr Rezwan Hossain Bhuiyan of department of geography and environment of Dhaka University, Prof Dr M Mirzahan Miyan of Water Resources Engineering department of BUET, member (planning), Rajuk, chairman of Rajuk, team leader of DAP, project director of DA, one representative of IMED and Abu Saleh Khan, chief of flood management department of IWM.