PM calls for protecting rivers to save country

Putting emphasis on proper river management, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said rivers will have to be protected for saving and developing the country.

"A proper river management is a must to protect the country's rivers...the rivers will have to be protected to save and develop the country," she said. 

The prime minister made the remarks in her introductory speech during the presentation of a model on the 'Comprehensive Plan for Stabilization of the Jamuna-Padma River and Pilot Intervention for Land Reclamation' at her office this morning.

Water Resources Minister Anwar Hossain Manju spoke at the function while Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan was, among others, present. 

The prime minister also stressed the need for increasing the navigability of the country's rivers as well as their land reclamation. 

"We've to give attention on how we can reap maximum benefits from the rivers...we've to also focus on how we can utilise the silt and reclaim more lands from rivers," she said.

Describing rivers as the lifeline of the country, Sheikh Hasina said a civilisation is built on the banks of the rivers. "If we look at the history of the civilisation, everything was raised on the banks of the rivers," she said. 

The prime minister said there are many rivers in the country and the river routes are the best ways for trade and business. "We've a tremendous scope to get benefits from the rivers." 

She said the country will be developed further if the land of the rivers is reclaimed. "We can raise habitation if we can construct mills and factories through a planned urbanisation," she said.

About land reclamation of the rivers, Sheikh Hasina said it will help increase investment and agriculture land and remove poverty. "Bangladesh will be prosperous from many sides...so this asset will have to be utilised," she said.

Underscoring the need for dredging the rivers, the prime minister said the rivers are the country's lifeline. "But, it sometimes brings sorrow for us if the dredging and training of the rivers are not done. So, we will have to make capital dredging first, then maintenance dredging every year," she said.

Pointing out the country's booming population, Sheikh Hasina said the country's population has increased to over 16 crore from seven crore since independence. "We've to provide food and housing and manage communication for them," she said. 

The premier said steps will have to be taken for keeping the depth of the mighty rivers. "There will have a buffer zone if we could reclaim huge lands," she said.

The prime minister said operation is needed or ring is installed if any blockage is detected in anybody. "Like that dredging is needed for keeping the rivers alive ... we've better scopes to protect the rivers," she said. 

She said rivers were not dredged over the years after the World War-II and due to lack of dredging; the rivers are widened during the rainy season, while their depth decreased to a great extent during the dry season. 

The prime minister said the silt of the rivers will have to be utilized properly. "A buffer zone will have to be kept on the both banks of the river so they can contain more water during the rainy season," she said. 

Sheikh Hasina said the sincerity is seen while dumping blocks to protect the rivers from river erosion. "But it is absent while cutting the silt," she said. 

The premier said the investors face problem due to dearth of land. The habitation is relocated for setting up mills and factories. "So if we could reclaim of lands from the rivers this problem won't exist," she said.

The prime minister thanked the authorities concerned for undertaking such a project, saying, "We can raise habitations and do trade and business if lands are reclaimed." 

The officials said under the "Comprehensive Plan for Stabilization of the Jamuna-Padma River and Pilot Intervention for Land Reclamation" the necessity of huge amount of investment-friendly land has been given priority to materialise Vision 2021 and 2041. 

In the plan, a proposal has been made to protect the 220 kilometres of banks at different places of the Padma and Jamuna, reclaim lands of 1,600 square kilometres by bringing down wideness to 7/8 kms from 16 kms on an average by flood control and protecting river routes including dredging and preserving 350 kms river ways. 

The proposed plan will be implemented in 25 years at a cost of Tk 40,000 crore in phases, the officials said. 

PM's Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman, Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim as well as secretaries and high officials of the concerned ministries were present on the occasion.

Source: bss