Photo: Collected
The allegation raised against Meghna Group over the occupation of the Meghna river in Sonargaon of Narayanganj has been found to be true in a two-year inquiry by the National River Conservation Commission. A 12-member probe committee scrutinised the entire matter and submitted a report to the Cabinet Division.
According to the report, seven companies under Meghna Group have occupied about 241.27 acres of the river’s land. Of this, permanent buildings and various infrastructure have been built on 84.77 acres and 5.5 acres of land have been used to build roads.
The committee has recommended that the Narayanganj district administration, BIWTA and the Water Development Board take urgent steps to recover the occupied land and restore the natural flow of the river. Besides, a call has also been made for punitive action against the authorities that were negligent in protecting the river.
Md Alauddin, head of the probe committee and a full-time member of the River Conservation Commission, said the report has been sent to the deputy commissioner and the Cabinet Division and the district administration will take steps accordingly.
Although this investigation began in October 2019, it remained suspended for some time due to the coronavirus pandemic. Later, the delegation visited various areas of Pirojpur, Hossainpur and Baidyer Bazar unions on the spot.
The report mentions that factories have been erected by filling up river land in the Jhauchar, Asharhiarchar, Narsuldi, Chhoyhissa, Tengarchar, Dudhghata, Damodardi, Sonaullah and Char Ramzan areas. The committee visited various establishments including Fresh Cement, a chemical factory, Fresh Sugar, a sugar refinery and Meghna Pulp and Paper Mills.
In addition, the matter of river occupation up to about two kilometres inward from the north and south banks of the Marakhali river adjacent to the Dhaka-Chattogram highway has come up. Information on the building of jetties, boundary walls and multi-storey infrastructure by filling up the river has also been included in the report.
According to the committee, the natural flow of water is being blocked as a result of filling up the river in this way, which may cause severe damage to the overall environment, biodiversity and low-lying areas.
In the CS record these lands were recorded in the name of the river, and in the RS record some portions were recorded as khas land. The probe team has also raised the question of whether the money due to the government was properly paid at the time of change of hands after the settlement of government khas land.
The report further mentions that although some of Meghna Group’s jetties are approved by BIWTA, the licences of two have not been renewed. Despite having clearance from the environment department, building industrial establishments on river land and floodplains and dumping liquid waste into the river are creating a severe threat to the river and the environment.
The committee has made a total of 12 recommendations to protect the river, which include quickly demarcating the river’s boundary, evicting illegal occupiers and structures, and ensuring the accountability of the government offices concerned.
Since the report was published, extensive discussion on the matter has begun. According to environmental analysts, the river recovery process will become even more difficult if quick action is not taken in line with the recommendations.
Narayanganj Deputy Commissioner Mostain Billah said they have had a meeting with the commission and action will be taken according to the instructions of the Cabinet Division. Meanwhile, Sonargaon Upazila Nirbahi Officer Atiqul Islam said the river and khas land occupied by Madina Group have already been recovered and action will also be taken against the land occupied by other companies according to the list.
