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State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad has expressed optimism that at least a pilot project under the long-awaited Teesta Master Plan will begin by the end of this year.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting the Buri Teesta Irrigation Project and river erosion-hit areas in Dimla upazila on Saturday, the state minister said the government’s technical committee had already submitted its report and work was underway to expedite implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.
“I believe that, at least as a pilot project, we will see the Teesta Master Plan take shape by the end of this year. This will reflect the long-standing aspirations and expectations of the people in the region,” he said.
Regarding the Buri Teesta re-excavation project, Azad said the previous government had planned to carry out the work in five packages at a cost of Tk 130 crore, but the initiative failed to materialise due to various complications.
He said the government would hold discussions with affected residents and officials later this month to resolve the outstanding issues, including the withdrawal of legal cases, so that work on the project could proceed.
During his visit to the erosion-prone Jhunagachh Chapani area along the Teesta River in Dimla, the state minister directed officials to immediately place geo bags and tube bags to curb riverbank erosion.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting people living along riverbanks, Azad said the administration did not want “a single house, home or even an inch of land” to be lost to river erosion.
