Dhaka south city mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said on Wednesday that he feared that the people living in the Hatirjheel catchment areas might suffer for water stagnation in the forthcoming rainy season due to earth-filling at Hatirjheel project by the Dhaka Elevated Expressway authorities.
He said this at a discussion organised by the Urban Development Journalists鈥� Forum, Bangladesh marking the 鈥楽afe City Day and Best Urban Reporting Award 2024鈥� in the capital鈥檚 Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific auditorium.
He also said that the agencies in the city hardly complied with laws and city corporation directions.
鈥楾he elevated expressway authority wanted to occupy Panthakunja Park at Karwan Bazar. We, however, could save it partially but they filled the Hatirjheel with earth,鈥� he said.
Addressing the event as chief guest, Taposh said that the agencies concerned were creating sufferings for people but only the public representatives like councillors and mayors were being scolded.
The mayor said that due to grabbing of the Hatirjheel water body people living in Green Road, Kathalbagan, Kalabangan and other catchment areas might suffer from water stagnation.
Discussants at the event said that Dhaka was on the list of most unsafe and unliveable cities of the world as the agencies concerned were not playing their roles for a lack of their accountability and political commitment of the government.
During a discussion on the keynote paper titled 鈥楽afer City: Re-imaging the safer city in Bangladesh鈥�, planner Mehedi Ahsan said, 鈥榃e need an integrated urban plan for the entire country.鈥�
At the same time the country needs separate regional urban plans for Barind Tract, haor and coastal areas as these areas have different biodiversity, he added.
If all problems of the cities are not brought under the one-stop service, the problems will not be solved, he also said.
Centre for Atmospheric Pollution Studies founding director Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Institute of Architects Bangladesh鈥檚 urbanisation and environment affairs secretary Sujaul Islam Khan, among others, attended the programme.
At the event, six reporters were awarded Best Urban Reporting Award 2024 in five categories.
The reporters are Rashad Ahamad of 抖阴精品, Md Al Fatah Mamun of Dailty Bonik Barta, Amitosh Paul and Latiful Isalm of Daily Samakal, Rajnin Fazana of Sarabangla.net and Md Nazmul Sayed of Independent TV.
