High Court has ordered 5 points including conservation of 952 ponds in Rajshahi City Corporation area. It has also been directed to ensure that these ponds cannot be filled with soil.
The High Court bench consisting of Justice Zobair Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Kazi Ebadat Hossain gave these instructions in a judgment on Monday. The instructions are 1. The defendants have been asked to ensure that no more ponds are filled and encroached upon in the city of Rajshahi; 2. City Mayor, Environment, RAB and District Administration directed to conserve existing ponds; 3. Ensure that ponds remain intact (original); 4. This case will continue; and 5. Many of Rajshahi’s old Sukhan Dighi occupied parts should be restored and preserved.
Senior lawyer Manzil Morsed heard the writ in the court and Deputy Attorney General Sheikh Saifuzzaman appeared for the state.
In 2014, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a public interest writ in the High Court seeking instructions to conserve 952 ponds in the Rajshahi City Corporation area. Later, the High Court issued the rule in the same year and ordered the Rajshahi District Commissioner (DC) to tell how many ponds there are in the City Corporation area. According to a report sent to the High Court, there are 952 ponds in the Rajshahi City Corporation (RASIK) area. Following this, the High Court ruled on the final hearing of the rule on Monday.
