Adviser to the water resources and environment ministry Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Sunday asked officials concerned to take urgent measures to prevent illegal encroachment of national heritage wetlands and rivers.
At a meeting with the officials of the water resource ministry at the secretariat, she also asked officials to take timely initiatives to repair embankments in haor areas to minimise crop damage, said a press release.
As part of the initiative, unauthorised structures in Arial Bil, Chalan Bil and Basila Bil will be removed, said the press release.
Rizwana is scheduled to visit the Arial Bil next week along with the housing and public works adviser. 聽
Emphasising the need to work on controlling river pollution to ensure people鈥檚 right to water, Rizwana said that a list of endangered rivers, including Baral, Piyain, Dawki, Someshwari, Balu, Buriganga, Magra and Karatoa, should be prepared, and harmful structures should be removed from the rivers.
鈥楴ecessary recommendations should be made to control or ban the extraction of sand and stones from rivers. Efforts to prevent river erosion must be intensified, and priority should be given to rehabilitating those affected by erosion on government land,鈥� said the press release.
She also said the actual number of rivers should be determined in consultation with the River Conservation Commission and relevant organisations, considering rivers as living entities. 鈥楻egional and local names of rivers should also be recognised so that no river, branch of river, or tributary gets lost in consideration,鈥� she mentioned.
Water resource secretary Nazmul Ahsan presided over the meeting, which was attended by officials of the ministry and heads of subordinate offices.
