BIWTA reports removing around 300 tonnes of waste from the Islampur area, but the court seeks a full report on the clearance and measures to prevent further dumping.
Buriganga river. Photo: Collected
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Buriganga river. Photo: Collected
The High Court has directed the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to remove all remaining plastic waste from the Buriganga riverbank in the capital’s Islampur area by 14 December and submit a comprehensive report on the work.
A bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice SM Iftakhar Uddin Mahmud issued the order today (8 November) after BIWTA informed the court that it had removed around 300 tonnes of waste from the riverbank.
However, the authority’s report did not confirm that all the waste had been cleared, senior lawyer Manzill Murshid, who represented the petitioner, told journalists after the hearing.
He said the court had directed BIWTA to ensure the complete removal of the waste and take measures to prevent further dumping of plastic along the riverbank.
The waste was found along the Buriganga in the Islampur area, which falls under Lalbagh and Kamrangirchar police stations.
In 2010, the High Court issued a set of directives after Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a writ petition seeking measures to prevent pollution of the Buriganga.
Following a supplementary application by the petitioner, the court on 2 September this year ordered the removal of plastic and other waste from the riverbank in Islampur in line with its earlier directives.
BIWTA submitted its report to the court on 8 November, informing it that around 300 tonnes of waste had been removed.
The latest order sets 14 December as the deadline for completing the clearance and requires the authority to report on its progress.
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