People to the rescue
When most of the ponds in the capital are falling victim to urban sprawl, residents of the Paikpara Government Staff Quarter in Mirpur have taken it upon themselves to restore and preserve one.
The condition of the reservoir inside the quarter was deplorable even 10 years back, but because of the initiative it is in a good condition now.
It is being maintained by the authorities of nearby Baitul Mobarak Jam-e-Mosque and Kalyan Samity (welfare association) of the staff quarter.
Some portions of the water body were filled up in the 80s to construct the mosque, an office of the Samity and a road, said locals.
Surrounded by trees, it is now being maintained on a regular basis.
Fayzur Rahman, general secretary of the mosque, said, “Covered with hyacinth, the pond used to be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.”
He said they started looking after it from 2006. “We've been taking care of it ever since. We release fish in it and sell those to generate income.”
Asma Akhtar, daughter of a Bangabhaban staff who lives at the quarter, said the pond also enhanced the living standards in the area. “Everyday, the pond area gets swarmed with people -- walking or gossiping beside it.”
Her mother, Nazma Akhter, was on an evening stroll by the reservoir. She paused, took a deep breath and said, “Even the air is fresh here...”
Saiful Islam, president of the Kalyan Samity, said not just the pond, the condition of the quarter was also not good before. “We took the initiative to clean the pond as well as improve the condition of the area.”
He said they gave the pond to the mosque committee so that they can maintain it properly. “We cultivate fish in it by leasing it from the mosque committee. The money is then used for the development of the area including the pond.”
He said they have already applied to the Public Works Department (PWD) for constructing two ghats (landing spots), a walkway on the north side, a bailey bridge and benches.
The project is already approved by the authorities concerned, he added.
“You should drop by after the project is finished. The pond and its surrounding area will be more vibrant then,” he told this correspondent.
PONDS AT ROAD RESEARCH INSTT
There are six ponds inside the Bangladesh Road Research Institute in Paikpara, which are being maintained by the authorities concerned.
Mohammad Bulbul Hossain, executive engineer at the institute, said the total area of the institute is around 40 acres.
The land was acquired in 1952. The reservoirs were dug up around that time.
Bulbul said they cultivate fish in the ponds. Though they have a plan to construct a “road research training wing”, they will not fill up the reservoirs to do so.
“We will continue to protect those,” he said.
PANCHTOLA STAFF QUARTER POND
While the pond inside the Paikpara Staff Quarter is a glaring example of how a reservoir should be cared for, the one inside the Paikpara Panchtola Staff Quarter lies neglected.
A large portion of it has already been grabbed and filled up.
Mohammad Jahangir, a former staff at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, said structures have been built illegally on its eastern side.
“I used to bathe in it in the 90s. But the water became dirty due to dumping of waste from the nearby residences.”
He also alleged that due to a rivalry between “two groups” in the area, no one takes any steps to renovate the pond.
(Edited by HASAN MEER)
Once vibrant, now lies neglected
Even a year ago, the reservoir inside the Radio Staff Quarter in Kalyanpur used to be vibrant with activities.
Children, under the supervision of guardians, used to swim in its clean water. For many, the reservoir was also a source of drinking water.
But the condition of the pond is appalling now. According to locals, the quality of the water deteriorated drastically after fish was released into it.
“I used to swim in it regularly. I even learnt to swim here,” said Shahadat Hossain Ridoy, a sixth-grader. “But I stopped swimming from this year as the water became dirty,” he said.
Many said the water started to get dirty after the authorities concerned started to use the reservoir for cultivating fish. The authorities released fish again around four months back, they said.
Urmi, an eighth-grader, was fetching water from a nearby well. She said, “Very few people use the pond now. Before, we used to collect water from it for our household chores.”
Abdur Rashid, deputy station engineer of Radio station, said they purchased the land during the latter part of the 30s. The total area including the pond is 19.72 acres.
“We handed over around 4.47 acres of land including the pond to the Bangladesh TV and Film Archive Institute,” said Rashid. “National Institute of Mass Communication (Nimco) also received 2.40 acres.”
He said the pond needs maintenance.
PONDS IN SECOND COLONY
Of the two ponds at Mirpur Second Colony, one has been filled up completely while the other partially.
Kutub Chowdhury, a resident of the colony, said the ponds were there since the Pakistan period.
Darus Salam Maddhomik Bidyaloy was constructed filling up one of the reservoirs.
The other pond is still alive. A primary health care centre and a school were constructed after filling up a portion of it, said locals. The reservoir used to be surrounded by trees, they added.
There is a signboard that says the pond belongs to Bangladesh Shishu Academy, Dhaka district.
Mohammad Harun Chowdhury, a trader of brick and sand who is running his business on a filled-up portion of the pond, said they have been doing business there since 1985.
A legal battle over ownership of the pond is ongoing between the government and one of the owners, he said.
Rasheda Begum, district officer (children affairs) of Shishu Academy, said the property became a khas land in 1960. They received the land from the DC office at a token price of Tk 1,001.
“There is two acres of land here of which the academy received half acres including a portion of the pond. Rest of the land is still under the DC office,” she added.
Rasheda said those who are claiming the ownership is unaware of it.
She said they will construct a 10-storey building for their Dhaka district office for children. The construction work might start in December.
“The DC office may protect the rest of the land as pond or hand it over to the other departments. They are yet to make a decision in this regard,” she said.
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