UNB, Dhaka :
With waters of four rivers surrounding Dhaka city getting polluted, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) has initiated a move to supply surface water from Meghna River to the capital.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is likely to finance the project with a fund of $737 million. This was disclosed at a seminar titled “Strengthening Monitoring and Enforcement in the Meghna River for Dhaka’s Sustainable Water Supply” held at a city hotel on Wednesday.
Admitting the government’s failure in protecting the four rivers – Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya – from pollution, Environment and Forest Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said now Meghna river has
to be protected from pollution through monitoring and enforcement of law.
“We have enough laws, but the only problem is lack of enforcement”, he told the seminar held under the joint aegis of Department of Environment, ADB, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and Dhaka WASA to discuss a study report on ‘Protecting Water Quality of the Meghna River for Dhaka’s Sustainable Water Supply.’
The seminar was also addressed, among others, by Charge de Affairs and Counsellor of Japanese Embassy in Dhaka Yasuharu Shinto, Environment and Forest secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury, ADB country director Manmohan Parkash, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan and additional secretary at Environment and Forest Ministry Dr SM Manjurul Mannan.
Team leader of the study team R Hans Aalderink made a keynote presentation on the Meghna River water.
Environment and Forest Minister said this has been unfortunate that having been surrounded by four rivers, Dhaka has to move for bring water from Meghna river, about 100 km away from the capital.
He also apprehended that after construction of the Padma Bridge, the Padma river may get polluted too if any action plan is not prepared with strong monitoring and enforcement of law.
With waters of four rivers surrounding Dhaka city getting polluted, the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) has initiated a move to supply surface water from Meghna River to the capital.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) is likely to finance the project with a fund of $737 million. This was disclosed at a seminar titled “Strengthening Monitoring and Enforcement in the Meghna River for Dhaka’s Sustainable Water Supply” held at a city hotel on Wednesday.
Admitting the government’s failure in protecting the four rivers – Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Shitalakkhya – from pollution, Environment and Forest Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said now Meghna river has
to be protected from pollution through monitoring and enforcement of law.
“We have enough laws, but the only problem is lack of enforcement”, he told the seminar held under the joint aegis of Department of Environment, ADB, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction and Dhaka WASA to discuss a study report on ‘Protecting Water Quality of the Meghna River for Dhaka’s Sustainable Water Supply.’
The seminar was also addressed, among others, by Charge de Affairs and Counsellor of Japanese Embassy in Dhaka Yasuharu Shinto, Environment and Forest secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury, ADB country director Manmohan Parkash, Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan and additional secretary at Environment and Forest Ministry Dr SM Manjurul Mannan.
Team leader of the study team R Hans Aalderink made a keynote presentation on the Meghna River water.
Environment and Forest Minister said this has been unfortunate that having been surrounded by four rivers, Dhaka has to move for bring water from Meghna river, about 100 km away from the capital.
He also apprehended that after construction of the Padma Bridge, the Padma river may get polluted too if any action plan is not prepared with strong monitoring and enforcement of law.
