What is really surprising is that illegal occupation of the river, already reduced to a trickle, continues despite the movement for saving the river drawing support from the government. A lot has been said and written about the river, considered the lifeline to a city beset with a host of environmental problems.

An eviction drive was launched in 2001 by the then caretaker government. But the latest report shows that the illegal occupants have taken advantage of the fact that the grip of the law has slackened since then. Many of the encroachers are reported to be getting ready for legal battles, a clear indication of their being in possession of forged documents in support of illegal occupation. That shows what can happen when the government agencies concerned fail to take timely action against the violators of law.

The encroachers have built all sorts of structures and facilities extremely hostile to the environment. There are brick kilns and structures for stacking construction materials. The list prepared by the Deputy Commissioner's office and the BIWTA gives a detailed account of how land grabbers are swallowing the dying river and posing a grave threat to the environment.

It is admitted on all hands that the death of Buriganga will be a severe blow to the city. Successive governments also decided in principle that efforts would be made to save the river by evicting the encroachers. But the resolve did not seem to mean much in practice, as illegal occupation of the river continued unabated. Obviously, the environmentalists bemoaning the river's fate cannot check the rot unless the government takes an effective initiative in this regard.

The district administration and the BIWTA are reported to have finalised the plan to launch another eviction drive this week. That will be a move in the right direction, but the planners must also ensure that the drive is not stopped before its objective is achieved. It must continue until the river is cleared of illegal occupants.