The New Nation - Internet Edition

JU Correspondent

Naonjuli Khal, the only way of discharging the wastes of about six lakh human and more than three hundred industries of Ashulia area is going to be occupied by the influential quarters of the area.

Few days ago the Khal was 20-40 feet wide but recently it has reduced into 4-5 feet creating resentment among the conscious inhabitants of the area.

The land office sources said the Khal originating from Diakhali flows over Chitrashail, Beron, Noyapara and Gazirchat and falls into the Turag river. It used to carry all kinds of wastes of the area during the rainy season but now it unable to do the same.

According to CS, SA and RS records the Khal was a Khash land but the influential persons of the area successively occupied the land and constructed unplanned buildings particularly after 1991 to present. For this reason, discharge of the wastes is going to be hampered seriously. Abdul Karim Bhuiyan, the former chairman of Yarpur Union Porishad said that as a result of grabbing of the khal, all inhabitants of the area are suffering. He urged the concerned administration to take initiative to preserve the healthy environment.

It is alleged that the S. Suhi Industrial Park, Usha Paltry Ltd. (Paragon Group) as well as other large and small enterprises occupied the Khal in different times, though the Managing Director of the S. Suhi Industrial Park refused the allegation.

Vice President (Economics) of BGEME Sirajul Islam Liton told the reporter, no enterprise occupied the lands but the industries have been established in the area as per the rules and regulations of the Government.

In the mean time M Asaduzzaman Akash, the chairman of Kashful, an environmentalist organization of Ashulia, submitted a written memorandum to the district commissioner on February 11, 2007 demanding recovery of the lands from the occupiers.

According to the memorandum, the Additional District Commissionar (Revenue) Shamima Yasmin visited the area on September 11 and assured that all kinds of initiatives to free the lands would be taken with cooperation from the local people.

The local people fear that if the khal were not recovered from the encroachers, it would bring environmental disaster for the locality.