The water resource advisor has directed the relevant government offices to finalise the accurate number of rivers and free them from illegal eviction within the next two months.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministries of Water Resources and Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, instructed the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), BIWTA, National River Conservation Commission, and Divisional Commissioners in this matter.
She mentioned that the jointly prepared list must be published on the website to allow for public opinions and objections. Any objections must be addressed through hearings if necessary.
She also directed the authorities to identify at least one river in each of the 64 districts and prepare a time-bound, cost-effective action plan within the next two months to evict illegal encroachments and later conduct coordinated operations for river eviction.
The Environment and Water Resources Advisor shared these directives in her speech on Wednesday night during a virtual inter-ministerial meeting on determining the actual number of rivers in Bangladesh and ensuring the protection of endangered rivers from encroachment and pollution.
The meeting, conducted by Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Nazmul Ahsan, included speakers such as Brigadier General (Retd.) M. Sakhawat Hossain, Advisor to the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Textiles and Jute, as well as Secretaries from the Environment, Land, and Shipping Ministries, Chairman of BIWTA, Director Generals of the Department of Environment and the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, representatives of the National River Conservation Commission, and Divisional Commissioners.
In the meeting, the Water Resources Advisor emphasized that the Department of Environment will prepare a list of the most polluted rivers and identify the individuals or institutions responsible for the pollution, ensuring regular monitoring and operations to control it. The Department will also prepare a 'Health Card' for each river, reflecting the river's vitality.
To carry out operations and prevent future encroachments and pollution, local residents, the younger generation, social organizations, and NGOs must be involved and given monitoring responsibilities. A ban on using plastic water bottles, folders, and banners in all offices should also be initiated, she added.
The Environment Advisor stated that BIWTA will hold discussions with experts regarding the current status and feasibility of the Dhaka Circular Waterway proposal.
The relevant ministries will regularly review the progress of implementing these directives. In compliance with court orders, the amendment proposal for the National River Conservation Commission Act will be finalized within three months, with a committee being formed for this purpose.
Opinions must be gathered on the cost and impact of ongoing and implemented river dredging projects.
During the meeting, the Shipping Advisor instructed Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to remove illegal encroachments along important rivers like Kirtonkhola and Rupsha. He also mentioned that a joint campaign with the Ministry of Environment would be launched to stop illegal polythene bags and promote the use of eco-friendly jute bags. Discrepancies have been observed in the total number of rivers in the country, as measured by the Bangladesh Water Development Board, the National River Conservation Commission, the Ministry of Shipping, and water experts.
In this context, the meeting decided to prepare an action plan to implement the directives of the Supreme Court's High Court Division in Writ Petition in 2021.
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