GPH Ispat responsible for flooding 2 Sitakunda villages, probe finds

A Chattogram district administration investigation has determined that GPH Ispat, a steel manufacturing company in Bangladesh, is responsible for flooding two Sitakunda villages, affecting 2,500 people.

TBS published a news report titled "400 Sitakunda families marooned in water as a canal filled by three cos" on 13 September 2022. 

Following the report, the district administration launched an investigation. The probe report was submitted on 14 August 2024 and TBS obtained it on Tuesday.

The probe report revealed that GPH Ispat installed a seven-foot-wide pipe beneath a piece of land in Masjidda Mouza, which is classified as roadway. The pipe redirects water from the hills into the Mogpukur area instead of the Kumira canal. This disrupts the natural water flow, causing flooding in the villages during the monsoon and severe waterlogging.

Also, a 40–50 feet wide canal running parallel to the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway has been occupied and filled up with earth by the company. This obstruction prevents the proper drainage of rainwater and waste through the canal, exacerbating the waterlogging issue.

Furthermore, GPH Ispat demolished a 16-foot-long bridge on the canal and replaced it with a narrower 5-foot bridge to connect its facility to the highway. 

This modification further blocked water flow from the northern side, where the villages are located, to the southern side, worsening the waterlogging problem.

The two affected villages in Sitakunda are Noapara in Kumira union and Hajipara in Banshbaria union.

Villagers have expressed frustration over the local administration's inaction despite being aware of the issue. 

Abu Bakar Siddiqui, a resident of Hajipara village, said a preliminary investigation in 2022 had already identified GPH Ispat as being responsible for the waterlogging. 

"The detailed investigation report submitted on 14 August this year also confirmed GPH Ispat's responsibility. It has been four months since the report, yet no legal action has been taken against the culprits," he said.

When contacted, Ovik Osman, public relations manager of GPH Ispat, dismissed the report as biased. 

"The probe report was dismissed by the Department of Environment (DoE) on 22 September," he said, declining to provide further comments.

But, Ashraf Uddin, DoE research officer at Chattogram District office, refuted Osman's claim. "This is an issue for the AC Land office. The DoE has nothing to do with this matter. If the AC Land office sends the matter to us, we can take action," he said.

Despite multiple attempts, ABM Sahedul Alam Al Massod, head of Facility and Estate at GPH Ispat, could not be reached for comment as he did not respond to phone calls.

Abdullah Al Mamun, assistant commissioner (Land) and executive magistrate of Sitakunda, confirmed receiving the report and said GPH Ispat had verbally objected to it, calling it biased. 

"I will visit the site soon and take action," he added.

Residents of the affected villages are urging the government to take immediate action to address the waterlogging issue and hold GPH Ispat accountable.