The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the authorities to place before it today statements on the steps already taken and to be taken to prevent encroachment, earth-filling and construction of illegal structures on the rivers surrounding the capital.
A division bench of the HC directed the directors general (DGs) of the Department of Environment (DoE) and Directorate of Land and Records (DLR), and chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to be present in the court for placing such statements on the rivers Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakhya.
The bench comprised of Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Momtaz Uddin Ahmed also directed the establishment secretary to place present addresses of those who served as industries secretary and DG of the DoE since July 2001.
The HC came up with the directives following separate petitions filed by rights body Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
Lawyer for the HRPB Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star that the court wanted the addresses following a supplementary petition filed by him.
Manzill said he filed the supplementary petition to pave the way for filing a contempt of court petition against the former industries secretaries and DGs of the DoE who did not take steps to prevent industrial pollution despite the HC verdict in this regard on July 15, 2001.
He gave the court their names yesterday.
Earlier on April 28 this year, Manzill filed with the HC a contempt of court petition against the incumbent industries secretary and DG of the DoE for not taking measures to prevent industrial pollution.
Upon a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela), an HC division bench comprised of Justice Md Joynul Abedin and Justice ABM Khairul Haque delivered the July 15, 2001 judgment.
In that judgment, the court ordered the DG of DoE to ensure compliance with environment conservation rules in the industrial units and factories in “Red” [highest polluter] category within one year, and report back to the court within six weeks thereafter.
The HC also ordered the DG to ensure adequate measures to control pollution in the industrial units and factories in two other categories within two years.
The court directed the industries secretary to make sure that no new industrial units and factories are set up without taking adequate measures to control pollution, as required by the Environment Conservation Act, 1995, and the Environment Conservation Rules, 1997.
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