The High Court yesterday ordered the authorities concerned to ensure the status quo on earth-filling and encroachment on lowlands and waterbodies by 24 housing companies near Purbachal New Town.

They were also asked to submit a report in this regard in two months.

The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

The housing companies would not be able to encroach and subsequently degrade the environment near Purbachal following the HC order, the petitioner's lawyer Manzill Murshid told The Daily Star.

On November 12 last year, the same HC bench directed the authorities concerned, after hearing a petition filed by the organisation, to maintain the status quo on any earth-filling and encroachment on natural water reservoirs, waterbodies and lowlands in Purbachal New Town (spread over Narayanganj's Rupganj and Gazipur's Kaliganj).

The rights body filed the petition challenging the inaction and failure of the respondents to take effective steps to protect the water reservoirs, waterbodies and lowlands in the areas.

The petitioner also sought HC directives on the respondents in this regard.

In response to the petition, the court asked the district administrations concerned to submit reports after complying with the directives before it in two months.

It also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why their inaction and failure to take effective steps to protect the water reservoirs, waterbodies and lowlands within the areas should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court asked them to show causes why they should not be directed to stop earth-filling and encroachment on in the areas.

They were also asked to explain why setting up signboards by housing companies in the areas should not be declared illegal.

Secretaries to the ministries of forests and environment, housing and public works, and land, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), director general of Department of Environment and its deputy director (enforcement), deputy commissioners and superintendents of police in Narayanganj and Gazipur, upazila nirbahi officers of Rupganj and Kaliganj and officers-in-charge of Rupganj and Kaliganj police stations were the respondents.

During the hearing, Manzill Murshid told the court that some housing companies -- Platinum Purbachal City, City Cloud 9, Canada City, Zamindar City, Rimjhim, Dreamland, Homeland Purbachal City, Hometown Purbachal City, Pretty Real Estate, Mascot Green City, Nandan City, Bestway City, Malum City, Marine City and Sopan City -- were  filling up and encroaching on waterbodies and lowlands in the areas, violating relevant laws.

But the respondents are not taking effective measures to protect the areas, he argued.