Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Md Tajul Islam said that water grid lines will be set up like gas and electricity to meet the future needs of water in the country including industries and factories.
The minister also said that the government is working tirelessly to ensure safe water for the people living in the coastal areas.
He said these things in the speech of the chief guest at the seminar titled 'Sustainable governance of community-based clean water infrastructure in the south-west coast of the country: a case study of community management plus model' organized at Senate Bhaban by the political science department of Dhaka University on Tuesday.
The minister said that one hundred economic zones are being created in the country. Also many new industries are coming up. Where large quantities of water will be required. Steps must be taken now to meet future water needs.
In addition to salinization of water in coastal areas, supply of safe drinking water has become a challenge in some parts of the country. It will be possible to meet this challenge if water can be supplied in zones and sub-zones through the creation of 'National Water Grid Line'.
In order to meet the targets of SDG, the government is giving maximum importance to surface water by reducing the dependence on surface water. Tajul Islam said the work of setting up water treatment plants to ensure water supply across the country is ongoing. He also said that there is no shortage of water anywhere in the country at present.
The minister said that the national target has been set under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to make the country prosperous and the country is moving forward at a fast pace to fulfill that target. Due to the prudent leadership of the Prime Minister, the country will transform into a developed and prosperous country before 2041.
Assistant Professor of Political Science Department. Muhammad Badrul Hasan read the main article in the seminar. Presenting the article, he said, availability of improved and safe drinking water for all is a major concern in developing countries. It is estimated that more than two billion people in the world still do not have access to safe drinking water.
Outlining the community management plus (CM+) model to solve the fresh water crisis, Badrul Hasan said that the CM+ model is a governance system where management and maintenance responsibilities are shared between users and government implementing agencies or local NGOs. The main objective of his research was to explore under what conditions the CM+ model can be successful in the sustainable management of community drinking water systems.
Under the chairmanship of DU VC Professor Dr. Mo Akhtaruzzaman and conducted by Political Science Department teacher Ainul Islam, Chairman of Political Science Department Professor Dr. Tasnim Arefa Siddiqui, DU Pro VC (Education) Professor Dr. ASM Maqsood Kamal, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences Professor Dr. Zia Rahman, Professor of Geology Department spoke in the seminar. . Kazi Matin Uddin Ahmad, Emeritus Professor of BRAC University Liaquat Ali Khan, First Secretary of Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka, Fokker de Jager.