Speakers for creating mass-awareness to protect water resources

RAJSHAHI, Apr 13 (BSS): Speakers at a discussion here opined that creating mass-awareness has become crucial for protecting the existing water resources from further pollution and contamination to safeguard human civilization and biodiversity.
They viewed the water resources in the region including its vast Barind tract should be protected and conserved through halting the land-based pollution.
District administration and local office of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) jointly organised the meeting at conference hall of deputy commissioner in observance of the World Water Day-2019 recently.
Officials and staffs of various other organisations including Rajshahi City Corporation, Rajshahi Water and Sewerage Authority and Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) joined the programme.
Chaired by Deputy Commissioner SM Abdul Kader the meeting was addressed, among others, by BWDB Chief Engineer Muhammad Ali and its Superintending Engineer Amirul Haque Bhuiyan and Executive Engineer Shahidul Alam and Additional Deputy Commissioner Julkar Nayon.
The discussants observed that the issue of vulnerabilities caused by abnormal declining of both underground and surface water resources in the dried area has become a grave concern.
In the present context of exorbitant use of chemical fertiliser and pesticides in farms, the issue of water pollution is being adjudged as a serious threat to the public health. The problem, however, can be mitigated to a greater extent through creating public awareness.
Optimum aquifer recharge in the Hard Barind area is very important to protect its overall public health alongside the existing agricultural ecosystem through managing a groundwater basin efficiently and effectively.
Muhammad Ali said the climate change has been adjudged as the depletion of natural resources and as a major threat to humanity and urged the policy planners and others concerned to take immediate effective measures to address the adverse impact.
Substantial and sustainable promotion of water and sanitation related modern technologies have become the demand of time.
He says groundwater recharging is dependent on enriching the surface water resources. To this end, the derelict ponds, canals and other wetlands need to be brought under excavation and re-excavation.
Marking the day, a rally was brought out in the city and after parading some streets the rally was culminated at the meeting venue.