DHAKA: Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) authorities have moved for making new parking lots by cutting trees of the city’s Osmani Uddayan, official concerned said.

DSCC’s chief engineer Jahangir Alam, however, told banglanews, “This parking project will be cancelled, if it is not environment friendly.”

Several meetings among the high officials at DSSCC have already been held on the project, sources concerned said.

On Monday, DSCC administrator Ibrahim Ahmed Khan and other high officials had a meeting with two professors of Department of Architecture at Bangladesh University of Engendering and Technology (BUET), leaders from environment groups Bangladesh Poribesh Bachao Andolon (BAPA) and Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).

The authorities planed to build a 4-basement underground parking on 30 thousand square feet area on the South-East side of the Udyan, adjacent to the Secretariat, with an estimated cost of Tk 40 crores.

The chief engineer told banglanews, “The authorities have just thought about it that such a project may be done, nothing more yet; the administrator talked with the high officials and the environmentalists on Monday.”

Project Advantages

Traffic jam in the city’s Motijheel, Gulistan and the adjacent areas would comparatively be lessened, if the parking project was implemented, claimed the authorities. A new parking facility for the city dwellers would also be opened and parking in front of the Secretariat would be stopped.

Project Disadvantages
The project would cost felling down lots of trees at the Udyan; for this reason, it is not environment-friendly, opined the environmentalists. The garden, which is an entertaining and walking place for the city dwellers, will be destroyed.

Present Condition of the Udyan

Area of the garden has gradually been decreasing, its sxisting area is 23 acres, and the project would be implemented on a land of 3 bighs inside the garden.

Visiting the garden, many small shops were seen set up there, tea, and cigarettes were being sold open there. ‘Public place, keep it smoking free, courtesy by Dhaka South City Corporation’ was seen written on the garden entrance in front of the Secretariat. None was seen bothering it.

Trashes were seen lying down here and there, damaging the normal environment of the garden. The DSCC has also not been taking measures on the matters.

BDST: 1136 HRS, AUG 30, 2014