Building at the cost of a pond

A pond in Chattogram city's Mohora area is counting its breaths as builders continue to fill it up for the construction of a five-storey building.

The permission for this construction was given by the Chattogram Development Authority, violating the Environment Conservation Act.

To legalise their action, the authorised division of CDA has shown the pond as an open land during paperwork. However, the place is still mentioned as a pond on a BS survey.

The Daily Star has obtained copies of the aforementioned documents.

In November last year, CDA permitted Sadia Kamal, owner of the pond, to construct the building by filling up the 0.12-acre pond, according to the documents. The construction works started in January.

"We used to collect water from this pond for domestic use. But the builders have filled it up under the nose of the administration as they are influential in the area," said a local woman, seeking anonymity.

During a recent visit, this correspondent saw several pillars had already been constructed by filling up a vast portion of the waterbody.

Owner Sadia Kamal said, "CDA issued the plan following our application. If they had not given the permission, we would not have started the construction work."

Mohammad Hasan, authorised officer and member secretary of CDA's Building Construction Committee, approved the construction permit.

Asked, Hasan said, "I am not aware of the situation and did not have field data. I only issued the permit as an authority."

Kazi Hasan Bin Shams, chief engineer of CDA, said, "There is no opportunity to approve plans for construction of buildings by filling up ponds. We will look into the matter and cancel the permit if irregularities are found. Besides, action will be taken against those involved in the irregularities."

Filling up water bodies is a punishable offence under the Environment Conservation Act. An accused can be sentenced to five years imprisonment or subjected to a Tk 50,000 fine, or both if found guilty of grabbing any water body.

Mia Mahmudul Hoq, deputy director of DoE (port city), said "We already sent a letter to CDA, requesting them to cancel the construction permit."

According to DoE, the port city was home to around 25,000 waterbodies in 1981. However, a 2017 Chittagong university study found the existence of 1,249 of them.

"Water bodies play an important role. It can serve as a source of water for domestic use and to douse fire. It also helps control waterlogging, support biodiversity, and restore depleted groundwater. This city will become unliveable if we continue to kill these natural water sources," said Md Delwar Hossain Mazumdar, executive member of Forum for Planned Chattogram and former chairman of Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh.