The High Court yesterday ordered the government to submit a report containing all relevant information about Chinguria Khal (canal) in Patuakhali including the progress of cancelling the lease of its land with private individuals.

The district administration of Patuakhali has been directed to submit the report to the HC in six months after receiving the order.

The HC bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order following a petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) seeking necessary directives to save the Chinguria canal from encroachment.

At the same time, the HC issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why their failure to recover 5.46 acres of land of the canal and to cancel the lease of its land with private individuals should not be declared contradictory to the law and constitution, and malafide and against the public interest and why they should not be directed to recover the land and to amend the land record.

The petitioner said in the petition that Chinguria canal, which is flowing through Kolapara municipality in Patuakhali, is the only source of water for daily uses, agricultures, pumping out of water and removal of waterlogging and saline water in the area and therefore, the canal is vital to around 5,000 people.

The district administration has given lease of parts of its land to private individuals and they have filled up the land and constructed structures there.

The canal has been shrunk and therefore, the people depending on agriculture have been facing difficulties, Bela said in the petition.                        

Lawyers Mohammad Ashraf Ali and S hasanul Banna appeared for Bela while Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during the hearing.