The High Court has asked the concerned government authorities to submit a report of the names of encroachers and polluters of Pabna’s Ichamati River land area within 90 days.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the rule and order on Sunday after hearing a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association (Bela) seeking necessary orders.
Advocate Minhazul Haque Chowdhury, accompanied by advocate Sayeed Ahmed Kabir, appeared for the writ while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the state.
The issued rule also asked the authorities as to why the 84 kilometer Ichamati river land area should not be declared as Ecologically Critical Area (ECA).
In the same rule, the High Court also asked why the court should not be directed to take protective measures against the polluters and encroachers after making the river free from them as per the CS land survey.
16 persons were asked to answer the rule including land secretary, water secretary, and chairman of the National River Conservation Commission.
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) filed the writ on January 5 with the annexed media report about the pollution and encroaching of the Ichamati River.
