Earth-filling for expressway threatens Hatirjheel
The Dhaka Elevated Expressway authorities have been earth-filling a part of Hatirjheel, which threatens the waterbody and puts the surrounding areas at risk of waterlogging, urban planners and architects have said.
Officials involved in the Dhaka Elevated Expressway project said a part of the lake will be filled to construct pillars for the expressway and the sand used for filling up the lake will be removed after the work is completed.
However, environmentalists and architects say that by using modern technologies, pillars can be constructed without filling up the lake. Government agencies cannot destroy the environment by filling the reservoir. They have promised to remove sand from the lake after completing the work, but often they do not follow through on their promises.
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Visiting the construction site yesterday, our correspondent found that a number of excavators were earth-filling the part of Hatirjheel from Karwanbazar to Biam Foundation. There were signposts in the water to indicate what portion of the lake should be filled, but the waterbody was filled up way beyond those limits in several places.
Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project Director AHMS Aktar told TBS that the work on this part of Hatirjheel has been stopped for the time being following a discussion in this regard on Monday. The work will be resumed after new decisions are taken in this regard.
However, our correspondent found that excavators were earth-filling the lake even on Tuesday.
Rajuk Chief Engineer (Project and Design) ASM Raihanul Ferdous told TBS no written permission was given for filling this part of Hatirjheel. The elevated expressway contractors were orally given permission to fill up parts of the lake. They will remove sand from the lake after completing the project and there will be no pillar in the waterbody.
Asked if Rajuk has taken any steps to prevent waterlogging in areas from where water pours into the lake, he said, "There is no possibility of waterlogging due to the filling up of the lake. This kind of earth-filling can be done for government projects. It is not private work."
Institute for Planning and Development (IPD) Executive Director Prof Adil Muhammad Khan told TBS, "By using modern technologies, the contractors could erect pillars without filling the lake. Why are they dumping sand there?"
"I do not know what reservoir conservation law permits the project implementers to fill Hatirjheel. No one can fill a reservoir in this way."
He said as per the original design, there was no plan to construct the expressway through Hatirjheel. The project work of this part will destroy the lake as well as the roads.
"We have seen illegal earth-filling of reservoirs many times but have never seen such a large part of a reservoir being filled in this way. I doubt if this part of Hatirjheel can ever be reclaimed," he added.
Architect Iqbal Habib, a consultant of Hatirjheel-Begunbari project, told TBS, "We think the lake can be filled like this for construction work, but the contractor has to strictly follow instructions. Rajuk has instructed them to remove sand from the lake after the work."
Stating that if such a large part of Hatirjheel is filled, there may be flooding in the monsoon season, he said, "The culvert near the FDC area along the Karwanbazar section of the Hatirjheel project is not wide enough. Rainwater accumulating in the area will hamper vehicle movement in this season. Widening this part can reduce the problem."
He also said, "The elevated expressway project has been controversial from the beginning. There are doubts whether this project will be beneficial at all. Besides, the project will spoil the beauty of Hatirjheel. Therefore, the lake should be restored after the pillars are installed."
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam on Monday arranged a meeting with stakeholders to discuss different issues related to the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. It was the first meeting of the committee formed to coordinate ongoing development projects related to road, rail and water transport infrastructures in Dhaka city.
Representatives of Rajuk, Dhaka North and South city corporations, and Bangladesh Railway present at the meeting said the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is supposed to lead toward areas outside the city along the rail lines, but its exit ramps have been planned in such a way at various spots inside Dhaka that it will further increase the traffic pressure on the city roads.
Construction of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway as per the current plan will ruin the beauty of Hatirjheel, according to Rajuk.
Rajuk representatives at the meeting said at least 41 pillars of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway will be in the Hatirjheel lake area, which will spoil its beauty.
