Agency to clean up Buriganga

Dhaka, July 23 ,The government plans to employ an agency to maintain navigability and stop contamination of the river Buriganga, shipping adviser MA Matin said Wednesday.

The government considers a permanent office for the taskforce formed to protect the rivers of the country, the adviser told reporters after a meeting at the shipping ministry.

The shipping ministry formed the taskforce on October 2, 2002 to evict grabbers from the banks of the Buriganga, enhance river navigability and cut pollution.

The committee in January 2003 placed 31 short-, 14 medium- and five long-term recommendations to authorities.

Abdul Mannan Howlader, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said that 15 short-term recommendations had been completely implemented.

"Many important recommendations could not be implemented," he said.

The BIWTA chief said that 450 establishments along the river Buriganga had so far been evicted, but the boundary of the river could not be drawn due to obstructions by grabbers.

"It needed amendments to laws."