The government is going to install pillars to demarcate boundaries of rivers in and around the capital and its adjoining three districts from today (Tuesday) aiming to prevent river encroachment and water pollution as well as to maintain smooth navigability. Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan will inaugurate the installation of pillars on the bank of the river Turag at Tongi in Gazipur at 10 am. The government, as per the decision of a task force, has allocated Tk 258.136 million (25.81 crore) for demarcation of the rivers Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Turag and Balu that encompass the capital and its adjacent districts of Narayanganj, Gazipur and Munshiganj. Land Minister Md Rezaul Karim Hira, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan, State Minister for Law Advocate Qamrul Islam and Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Shipping Noor-E-Alam Chowhury are expected to attend the programme. The task force comprised of the ministries of shipping, land, housing, public works and environment have decided to demolish illegal establishments set up on river beds. As part of the ongoing drive undertaken by the authorities concerned, about 767 illegal structures in Dhaka and 525 in Narayanganj areas have been demolished from river beds. Thus 41.25 and 17.04 acres of land have been recovered in the two districts respectively, a high official of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) told the FE. Shipping minister at a meeting on river dredging held on April 02 said the government will take a concerted effort by incorporating all the stakeholders to get effective results from river dredging. "We have taken short, mid and long-term measures for river dredging. The public and private sectors are now involved in dredging for ensuring smooth navigability," Shajahan Khan said.
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