A Chattogram district administration investigation has sure that GPH Ispat, a steel manufacturing company in Bangladesh, is to blame for flooding two Sitakunda villages, affecting 2,500 other americans.
TBS published a news file titled “400 Sitakunda households marooned in water as a canal stuffed by three cos” on 13 September 2022.
Following the file, the district administration launched an investigation. The probe file become submitted on 14 August 2024 and TBS obtained it on Tuesday.
The probe file published that GPH Ispat installed a seven-foot-broad pipe beneath a fraction of land in Masjidda Mouza, which is classed as roadway. The pipe redirects water from the hills into the Mogpukur scheme in preference to the Kumira canal. This disrupts the pure water circulation, inflicting flooding in the villages one day of the monsoon and severe waterlogging.
Also, a 40–50 feet broad canal running parallel to the Dhaka-Chattogram Motorway has been occupied and stuffed up with earth by the corporate. This obstruction prevents the genuine drainage of rainwater and fracture via the canal, exacerbating the waterlogging venture.
Moreover, GPH Ispat demolished a 16-foot-lengthy bridge on the canal and replaced it with a narrower 5-foot bridge to connect its facility to the motorway.
This transformation additional blocked water circulation from the northern side, the establish the villages shall be found, to the southern side, worsening the waterlogging venture.
The two affected villages in Sitakunda are Noapara in Kumira union and Hajipara in Banshbaria union.
Villagers have expressed frustration over the local administration’s state of no job despite being responsive to the venture.
Abu Bakar Siddiqui, a resident of Hajipara village, acknowledged a preliminary investigation in 2022 had already identified GPH Ispat as being to blame for the waterlogging.
“The detailed investigation file submitted on 14 August this yr also confirmed GPH Ispat’s accountability. It has been four months since the file, but no genuine action has been taken in opposition to the culprits,” he acknowledged.
When contacted, Ovik Osman, public family members manager of GPH Ispat, brushed apart the file as biased.
“The probe file become brushed apart by the Department of Environment (DoE) on 22 September,” he acknowledged, declining to give additional feedback.
But, Ashraf Uddin, DoE learn officer at Chattogram District office, refuted Osman’s claim. “Right here’s a venture for the AC Land office. The DoE has nothing to raise out with this topic. If the AC Land office sends the topic to us, we can rob action,” he acknowledged.
Despite quite loads of attempts, ABM Sahedul Alam Al Massod, head of Facility and Estate at GPH Ispat, is per chance now not reached for comment as he didn’t answer to phone calls.
Abdullah Al Mamun, assistant commissioner (Land) and executive Justice of the Peace of Sitakunda, confirmed receiving the file and acknowledged GPH Ispat had verbally objected to it, calling it biased.
“I will mosey to the positioning rapidly and rob action,” he added.
Residents of the affected villages are urging the federal government to rob immediate action to address the waterlogging venture and have GPH Ispat to blame.
