Death of a Barisal pond
Bela files case, appeals for injunction against earth filling
KILLING A HISTORIC WATER BODY: Ignoring environment law, a claimant of partial ownership of this century-old pond at Mallik Road-Fakir Bari Road crossing in Barisal city has continued filing it up, thanks to the indifference of authorities concerned.Photo: STAR
Filling of century-old Police Club Pond at Mallik Road-Fakir Bari Road crossing in Barisal city has continued, thanks to the negligence of authorities concerned. Lincoln Bayen, acting coordinator of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela) Barisal district unit, lodged a case with Senior Assistant Judge's Court of Barisal and appealed for imposing injunction against the pond filling. Md Al Amin, judge of the court, received the case and fixed the date of hearing of injunction prayer on July 23. Advocate Suvash Chandra Bipro Bedanti, former district coordinator, and Lincoln Bayen, officer of Bela Barisal office, said the then land owner Nirad Ranjan Guha dug the pond on about 50 decimal of land more than a hundred years ago for use as drinking water source of the locals. After the owner of the pond and adjoining land and building left the country in 1956, the government acquired the property and established district Police Club there. Consequently, the pond became known as Police Club Pukur (pond) and got listed as vested property, said Dipak Chatterjee, a local land official. But later claiming ownership of the property, one Daliluddin Sardar, owner of a neighbouring land, filed a case and received a decree in favour of ownership of saat anna (about half) land of the pond a couple of years ago. Daliluddin's sons Aziz Sardar and Shahin Sardar erected a bamboo fence and started sand filling part of that pond on Friday last. "We are filling our portion of the pond and there is no law against filling of private ponds," Aziz Sardar claimed. Devdas Bhattacharya, Barisal district police superintendent, said, "Owner of the land beside Police Club Pond received a decree on saat anna portion of the land of the pond. They are not filling any portion of the pond that is owned by police authorities." No appeal was filed in higher court against that decree as a section of administration and police officials were 'managed', alleged a few local residents. Asked about the matter, advocate KBS Ahmed Kabir, government pleader, said, "No appeal was lodged in this connection as it would not bring any result." Tarikul Islam, superintending engineer of Barisal City Corporation, said the corporation has nothing to do against filling of any private water body. Sukumar Biswas, director of Directorate of Environment (DoE) Barisal office, said, "No objection certificates from the DoE, land office and city corporation are needed for filling any water body, be it public or private. The DoE on Tuesday sent notice to people and authorities concerned against filling of Police Club Pond and we will take legal action against the violators of the law."
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