Call for saving rivers from illegal occupation

Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud Saturday urged all to raise their voices to protect the rivers from illegal occupation and pollution to maintain ecological balance in the country, reports BSS.

"Our rivers are being grabbed and polluted indiscriminately and we all should raise our voices to stop illegal occupation of rivers," he told a discussion titled 'Impact of Sea Level Rise on Environment' in the auditorium of Department of Forests in the city.

Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) in association with Department of Environment and Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) organised the discussion on the occasion of World Environment Day-2014.

Water Resources Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan, vice president of BWP Dr K Azharul Islam, engineers, water experts and officials, among others, addressed the discussion with Director General of the Department of Environment Md Raisul Alam Mondal in the chair.

Executive Director of CEGIS Engr Md Waji Ullah, director of Natural Resources Management and Research Wing of Department of Environment Dr Sultan Ahmed and director general of Water Resource Planning Organisation (WARPO) presented the keynote papers separately at the discussion.

Protecting the rivers from encroachment and pollution is a must to save biodiversity as well as life and livelihood of the people, Anisul said adding, "We have to create mass awareness among the people on environment issues so that they can contribute to safeguarding our ecology."