More structures knocked down

Around 70-80 water pipelines were discovered under the Kalyanpur Cha canal at Shyamoli during demolition of illegal structures on the bank of the canal on Sunday. Locals allege that these illegal lines, bringing in water from Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) main lines, were 'connected' with the help of Wasa officials.Photo: Anisur Rahman

The eviction drive to free the rivers from encroachers continued as the authorities demolished structures built on Shitalakhya and removed earth from Turag yesterday.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and Narayanganj district administration carried out the drive on 11th day in Shitalakhya and destroyed the remaining portions of the boundary wall erected by Al-Noor Paper Mills encroaching around 14,000 square feet of the river in Dhakeswari area.
“It's astonishing that such a huge boundary wall was constructed in the river," said Executive Magistrate Abdul Hai of Narayanganj, adding that the encroacher also ventured into earth filling in a canal in the area.
When his attention was drawn to huge earth filling and heavily built guide walls (foundations) by the encroachers that escaped the demolition drive, BIWTA Senior Deputy Director Md Abu Zafar Hawlader said he would propose a separate programme to deal with it.
“We will raise the issues with higher authorities during the review of the eviction drive and propose further drive with required equipment. It is not possible to remove earth and guide walls by tugboats,” he said.
Meanwhile, BIWTA continued with earth removal in the river Turag near Gabtali-Amin Bazar Bridge for the fifth day.
The excavation of sand piled up by traders in Turag is going on at two points--south of the bridge and south of Gabtali bank, said BIWTA Senior Deputy Director Golam Kabir, who went to the site in the morning.
The drive in Shitalakhya will remain suspended for two days and resume on Thursday, said Zafar Hawlader. However, the excavation work in Turag continues today.
Our Narayanganj correspondent adds: The joint eviction team led by Executive Magistrate Sabera Fatema, demolished illegal portions of four semi-concrete and tin-shed structures, including a cotton warehouse and a house made by Kafil Uddin Bhuiyan grabbing 12,000 square feet of the river in Dhakeswari area.
The authorities also destroyed a boundary wall, built by local political leader Safar Ali Bhuiyan to occupy around 18000 square feet area of the river in Godnail under Siddhirganj upazila.
But the BIWTA tugboats failed to dismantle the strong guide walls constructed by Ibrahim Composite to grab 37,000 square feet of the river.
Two tugboats were deployed yesterday mainly to destroy the guide walls.