The government has embarked on a plan to construct new bridges around Dhaka by demolishing offending bridges that obstruct navigation for ensuring speedy communication and smooth navigation.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam said this to the reporters after a meeting of the ‘Master Plan Formation Committee’ on freeing the rivers around Dhaka from encroachment, preventing pollution and increasing navigability at the conference room of local government division on Sunday.
The LGRD minister, also the Chairman of the Master Plan Formation Committee, said, “The bridges over the rivers around Dhaka have been constructed by all the ministries or departments including the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The structures that obstruct the navigation will be demolished to increase navigation. At the same time new bridges will be constructed that will not obstruct smooth navigation.”
The chairman of the committee said, “Many projects have been taken up by various ministries, departments or agencies for the development of the capital including freeing the rivers from pollution, preventing pollution and increasing navigability. A committee will be formed to check whether there is any project that overlaps other.”
In this regard, Md Tajul Islam said, “There is no alternative to work by coordinating all the organisations and removing mismanagement in the projects. To this end, a list of projects taken by the Ministry, City Corporation and other organisations has been sought. All the projects will be brought under the prepared master plan.”
The minister also said, “Around 90 percent of the river areas around Dhaka have been freed from illegal encroachment and there are complications in some places due to the existence of mosques, temples and other religious institutions.”
“The eviction activities to free the rivers encroachment and pollution have been slowed due to deadly coronavirus. Anyone, who illegally occupies rivers and canals, will be evicted and the river areas will be freed at any cost,” he added.
Tajul Islam further said, “Projects have been undertaken to connect one of the identified canals with another in the capital. Walkways will be constructed on both sides of these canals for the movement of the people.”
Responding to a query regarding the timeline of the master plan, the minister said, “The work on the master plan has already started. The total projects under this master plan will be completed within 10 years.”
Earlier in the meeting, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Narayanganj City Corporation Mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, Gazipur City Corporation Mayor Jahangir Alam, Chairman of National River Conservation Commission, Chairman of BIWTA and Secretaries of the concerned Ministries, were present.