Kabir Bin Anowar, Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources, has said that lists of some 44,000 illegal structures constructed by grabbing rivers and water-bodies have been prepared and the eviction drive against those illegal structures will be started from December-23 this year. At the same time, the works of excavation of 11,000 rivers and canals will be started in phases to ensure the normal flow of waters through those rivers and canals.
Kabir Bin Anowar was speaking as the chief guest at a function organised on the Recovery of Natural Water Bodies of Chalanbeel area and Progress of the projects undertaken by the Ministry of Water Resources at the Conference room of Deputy Commissioner of Natore on Sunday.
He said, the present government has enacted the Water Act-2013 and the act will be implemented soon. 448 river and canals among 11,000 are being implemented in the first phase and 2100 more rivers and canals will be excavated in the second phase. Through the excavation of the rivers and the canals, the erosion of the river will be checked, waterlogging will be removed, irrigation capacity will be increased and the biodiversity will be retained through afforestation along the riverside. The GDP of the country would reach 10 percent through proper exploitation of the river management and river resources. He further mentioned, through 22 projects of Water Development Board, 17,000 kolometre long embankments have been constructed and 10 lakh hectares of land have been brought under irrigation facilities.
Presided over by Mohammad Shahreaz, Deputy Commissioner of Natore, the function was addressed, among others, by Shafiqul Islam Shimul MP, Shahidul Islam Bokul MP, Dr. Abdul Aziz MP, Mohammad Ali, Chief Engineer, Water Development Board, North-west region, Upazila Chairmen of various upazilas of Naogaon, Rajshahi, Natore, Bogura, Pabna and Sirajganj, Uma Chowdhury Jolly, Mayor of Natore Municipality, Ronen Roy, Rezaul Karim Reza and Farazi Rafique.