Will Purbachal become another mess?
Shohel Mamun
Published at 04:53 PM September 26, 2017
The government says it plans to build Purbachal as a model residential area in Dhaka
Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Rajuk is currently giving approval only at sectors four and five of the project
The Purbachal New Model Town area, with its 300-feet wide arterial road, has been hyped up for long as a modern suburb that will soon adorn the outskirts of Dhaka.
But even before the project has taken off, there are now worries whether the project will eventually retain its look on paper.
Beyond the vicinity of the Purbachal Expressway, unplanned and unauthorised constructions are already encroaching on the model town. Many people are already living in these illegally built homes. Many buildings are also being used as hotels, resorts, restaurants, amusement centres, warehouses and shops.
Over the decades, Dhaka’s efforts to build clean, organised residential zones have repeatedly failed in the old neighbourhoods of Dhanmondi, Banani and Gulshan. Even the Uttara Model Town, built from scratch, fell victim to commercial encroachment and illegal constructions.
The government says it plans to build Purbachal as a model residential area in Dhaka.
Also Read- Purbachal to be first smart city by 2018
The initiatives to redesign or remodel Dhaka’s residential areas have been largely unsuccessful due to strong resistance from owners of illegal and unplanned structures. Concerned authorities have only served notices to the building owners, asking them to remove or replace the illegal structures, and threatening to otherwise destroy them. But these threats have had little effect, while sporadic drives against illegal structures also failed as the encroachers soon returned to occupy the spots.
The Housing and Public Works Ministry issued notices to 1,636 building owners in Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi residential areas after the terror attack in July last year, saying that they would have to stop using residential buildings for business purposes, or that they did not follow the building code and original design. But little heed has been paid to these notices. On the other hand, authorities have been forced to designate parts of these areas as commercial zones.
Is Purbachal moving in the same direction? Experts say if the government cannot control the growth of illegal and unplanned structures from the beginning, Purbachal will meet the same fate.
During a recent visit to Purbachal, the Dhaka Tribune found a building under construction at sector 17, road number 303, plot number 8, without any plan or design approved by Rajuk (Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha), the city development authority.
The building already has three floors and it will be six-storied, the workers said.
Workers said the owner of the five katha plot was one Ripon Miya. They could not provide his contact number.
Hundreds of other buildings have been completely built or are under construction, on around 200 plots in different sectors which have no approval from Rajuk.
“If the authorities do not rein in the illegal construction at Purbachal immediately, the new city will become unlivable,” said Professor Sarwar Jahan, of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Buet.
“If commercial structures like amusement centres, restaurants and dairy farms are constructed in an unplanned way, it will be a sign that the city will face chaos in the future,” he added.
“If Rajuk does not control illegal structures, it will not be a residential area, it will be another mixed area like Dhanmondi or Banani,” said Sarwar Jahan.
Rajuk Chairman Abdur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: “Development work is underway there. Our officials are regularly monitoring the area. If anyone raises any illegal structures, we will take necessary action. If any officials are involved in allowing illegal structures and taking bribes, they will be punished.”
Rajuk is currently giving approval only at sectors four and five of the project in Rupganj Upazila under Narayanganj, which is ready for building construction.
But people are raising buildings without approval in different sectors, sometimes without utility connections. Some of the commercial establishments are run on generators. Some use illegal and old Palli Bidyut (rural electricity) connections.
Additional Project Director Ujjal Mandol said: “I am aware that many illegal structures are being built without proper plan or design. But Purbachal is a big area, authorised officers designated to various zones are responsible for checking illegal structures.”
Adilur Rahman, the authorised officer for Purbachal, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Only eight plans and designs for buildings have been approved by Rajuk in the Narayanganj part of Purbachal. One plot owner is starting construction work while the rest are preparing for it.
“Outside of these, all structures are illegal in Purbachal. We have already sent notices to around 130 people,” he added.
“But Purbachal is far from Dhaka and officials do not want to go there. We have shortage of manpower as well,” he added.
Some of the buildings are already fully built, and people are living there with their families. Some use their buildings as a vacation home. Most building owners do not hide the fact that they built without Rajuk’s approval.
Also Read- Factbox: Purbachal project at a glance
Local people say Rajuk continuously runs eviction drives alongside the 300-feet road but they cannot see illegal structures and businesses on the plots.
Kudratullah, a building owner at sector 13 road 203, told the Dhaka Tribune: “I am yet to get any approval from Rajuk. But the structure I have built is temporary. Purbachal will be completed in 10 years and then I will bring it down and build something new with a proper design.”
His building however, looks too expensive to be brought down in 10 years.
Adjacent to the Kudratullah’s building there is another building, owned by one Din Mohammad Dilu.
Dilu’s nephew Mohammad Al Amin told the Dhaka Tribune: “When the government acquired land for Purbachal we lost all our land. My uncle got the plot as an original resident of the area. So after development of the area we built a four-storey building for our accommodation.”
Dilu himself admitted over phone that he had permission from Rajuk to use the land without building any permanent structure.
“But we needed a home, so we built it and also submitted a plan to Rajuk, which is yet to get approval,” he added.
A three-storey luxurious villa stands out at Sector 1, just beside the Balu River.
Most of the building’s work is complete. Site Engineer Milon Sarker told the Dhaka Tribune that the owner of the building was a senior member of the government.
The house was built from photos of homes in London and the US, he added.
“Though Rajuk is yet to approve the design, we will get it soon,” he added.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/development/2017/09/26/purbachal-become-another-mess/