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Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has called for coordinated and long-term initiatives to protect the rivers surrounding the capital, control pollution, restore navigability and ensure their natural flow.
He said river management should take into account the importance of these rivers to the capital’s environment, public health, biodiversity and economy.
The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a high-level event titled “High Level Event on Bangladesh Rivers Pollution Control, Conservation and Management of the Rivers Surrounding Capital Dhaka”, organised by Team European Union in Gulshan, Dhaka, on Thursday (September 24).
The Water Resources Minister said keeping the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers, among others surrounding Dhaka, free from pollution and encroachment is one of the government’s major priorities.
He said all relevant agencies must properly perform their respective responsibilities to stop the dumping of industrial waste, sewage and solid waste into rivers.
“Controlling river pollution is not possible for any single ministry or agency alone,” the minister said.
He stressed the need for coordinated efforts by the ministries and agencies concerned with water resources, environment, shipping, local government, city corporations, industries and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), among others.
At the same time, he called upon riverside communities, industries and civil society to play a responsible role in protecting the rivers.
The minister said obstruction of the natural flow of rivers leads to waterlogging, environmental imbalance and increased public suffering.
“Therefore, canals and water bodies connected to the rivers must also be protected,” he said, adding that initiatives should continue to restore connections between rivers and canals and maintain water flow through excavation and re-excavation where necessary.
He said the government has also undertaken programmes across the country for the excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals and water bodies.
Mahbuba Rahman, director general of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Bangladesh Parliament; Qingfeng Zhang, country director of the Asian Development Bank; Michal Krejza, Minister Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation at the European Union; French Ambassador Jean-Marc Sere Charlet; and Dutch Ambassador Joris Van Bommel, among others, addressed the event.
