HC orders Dhaka city corporations to form committees to examine gas, sewerage lines

ZOOMBANGLA DESK: The High Court on Tuesday asked the two city corporations in Dhaka to form a 7-member committee for each ward to examine the sewerage and gas pipelines to ensure safety of the residents.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after hearing a writ petition.

Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakkha (Rajuk), Managing Director of Titas Gas, Managing Director of Dhaka Wasa, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North and South City Corporations have been asked to form the seven-member monitoring committees involving experts from the departments concerned.

The HC also asked the authorities concerned to take necessary measures for repairing if the committees find any fault in the sewerage and gas pipe lines and submit reports after every eight months.

On March 12, a writ petition was filed with the High Court seeking necessary directives in connection with the explosions in Science Laboratory area and Siddique Bazar of Gulishtan that claimed lives of 28 people.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a human rights organization, filed the writ petition.

Senior Advocate Manzill Murshid stood for the petitioner while assistant attorney general Toufique Sazawar represented the state.

The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the inaction of the respondents in taking effective measures to ensure the safety of Dhaka residents and monitoring the establishments on regular basis, should not be declared illegal.

Secretaries to the Housing and Public Works Ministry, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Local Government and Rural Development Ministry, Chairman of Rajuk, Managing Directors of Titas Gas and Dhaka Wasa, Chief Executive Officers of Dhaka North and South city corporations have been made respondents to the rule.

Advocate Manzill Murshid, said “Authorities’ negligence was the main reason behind the explosions in Science Lab and Siddique Bazar areas. The authorities concerned do not check the sewerage and gas pipe lines of hundreds of establishments in Dhaka.” (UNB)