‘Killing rivers in the name of balu mahal’
Government officials in many districts are leasing out rivers in the name of "balu mahals" (a designated place from where sand is lifted), without proper survey, said environmentalists at a seminar yesterday.
Saying that such practice ruins rivers, they demanded punitive measures against the officials concerned.
They came up with the demand at a roundtable discussion titled "Environmental crisis and vulnerability of rivers due to sand-stone lifting and environment-pollution".
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) And Water Rights Forum jointly organised the programme at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.
Addressing the event, Bela chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said river erosion in many areas has taken a severe turn, as sand and stone extraction from rivers continues unabated.
As a result, vast areas of farmland, households and properties are being lost to riverbank erosion every day, she said.
According to government statistics, different district administrations leased out as many as 256 balu mahals in the 2021-2022 fiscal year alone. The government earned over Tk 235 crore by leasing out rivers. Few government officials are killing these waterbodies only for some money, Rizwana added.
The government should fix a ceiling of how much sand and stones can be lifted from rivers while approving the lease if needed, she opined.
Shamsul Huda, director of ALRD, said different government officials are leasing out rivers to protect the interest of traders instead of protecting environment.
He also demanded legal actions against such officials and illegal sand lifters.
According to government statistics, different district administrations leased out as many as 256 balu mahals in the 2021-2022 fiscal alone. The government earned over Tk 235 crore by leasing out rivers. Few government officials are killing these waterbodies only for some money.
Nagorik Uddyog's chief executive Zakir Hossian stressed the need for strict implementation of existing laws to protect rivers from grabbers and illegal sand lifters.
Tuhin Wadud, professor of Begum Rokeya University, said only evicting illegal structures from riverbanks is not enough. Rather, the government must seek compensation from encroachers.
Around a dozen of environmental activists spoke at the event.
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