HC reprimands Wasa MD

The High Court has reprimanded managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) for not complying with its directive to block drains and sewerage lines linked to Buriganga River.

The HC said the Wasa MD has been seeking time on various pretext to deliberately delay execution of its 2011 order.

A division bench comprising Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order on Monday.

The order came following a mandamus petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking necessary order to prevent pollution of Buriganga due to sewerage lines.

 

Wasa MD Taqsem A Khan was cautioned to properly implement court’s directives and submit a compliance report within a month.

The High Court fixed October 18 to pass further order on this issue.

Appearing for the petitioner, HRPB president and Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid said Wasa MD Taqsem A Khan had appeared before the High Court on March 4 and apologised for not implementing the 2011 directive.

The MD had submitted an undertaking to the HC that he will take steps to fully comply with the directives.

Taqsem A Khan again shifted from his previous position and submitted three confusing reports to the HC on August 18, September 7 and September 14 through his lawyer Ummme Salma.

Quoting reports, Manzill said Wasa MD claimed to have closed four sewerage lines at Hazaribagh area but cannot block lines in Shyampur due to floods. But there is no flooding in Shyampur area.

The Wasa MD also said his office could not implement the HC directives due to manpower crisis.

Pollution of Buriganga water cannot be stopped due to noncompliance of the HC's 2011 directives, said the lawyer.