Bela serves legal notice on 4 secys

The notice was served upon the secretaries of Ministry of Land, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Housing and Public Works and Ministry of Environment and Forests, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), director general of Department of Environment, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, chairman of Dhaka Wasa and mayor of Dhaka City Corporation.

The Bela in the notice mentioned that the Master Plan of the city (otherwise known as the Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan) has identified certain rivers, flood plains, flood flow zones, khals and lakes within the city that are required for proper drainage of the city and of course providing the dwellers of this extremely congested city with some relief.

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The waterbodies identified by the Master Plan include nineteen khals, four flood flow zones, five major lakes that are needed to meet local requirements for open spaces and for retention and drainage function.

The khals as identified in the Master Plan include Dholai Khal, Gandaria Khal, Zirani Khal, Khilgoan-Basaboo Khal, Zurain Khal, Khilgaon Khal, Sabuzbag Khal, Begunbari Khal, Paribag Khal, Kathal Bagan Khal, Raza Bazar Khal, Hazaribag Khal, Mahakhali Khal, Mahakhali Banani Khal, Kalyanpur Khal, Gabtali Khal, Baunia Khal, Diguan Khal and Abdullahpur Khal.

The Master Plan also mentions the Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Dhanmondi and Uttara lake and four flood flow zones for maintaining the ecological balance of the Dhaka city.

The said plan has clearly prohibited development for residential, commercial and industrial purposes encroaching upon such wetlands. Despite such prohibition, all these flood flow zones, lakes and khals are under constant pressure of being filled up by unscrupulous developers, illegal encroachers some times even with sanction from the Rajuk that violates its own Master Plan.

Legal action would be taken in case if the authorities do not respond within 30 days from the receipt of the notice.