Students of six schools in Dhaka city and workers of different social organisations joined the drive for cleaning Gulshan Lake, one of the ecologically critical area in the city due to direct dumping of sewage and water runoff. Around 400 people including students of six schools took part in drive.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Gulshan Society jointly launched the cleanliness drive on Saturday (March 16).
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Private Industry and Investment Salman Fazlur Rahman, Mayor of DNCC Md Atiqul Islam and State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat were present during inauguration of the drive.
Speaking on the occasion, Salman F Rahman said that Dhaka city is blessed with a number of beautiful water bodies which could be utilized for multipurpose use if those are revived.
He laid emphases on effective coordination among all government agencies including Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK), City Corporation, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and support of the civil society members to keep the water bodies clean.
DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said that Gulshan Lake cleaning has been launched to ensure community involvement to keep the lakes of DNCC area clean to allow the people to swim and play in the lakes.
Addressing the function, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said that cleaning of the lakes was one of the major demands of the people of his constituency at the time of his last two election campaign.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, who is also MP from Dhaka-17 constituency, said that cleaning drive of the other lakes in Dhaka city should start as soon as possible to fulfill his electoral pledges.
He also underscored the need for collective efforts to keep the lakes clean in future.
Though Gulshan Lake and Baridhara Lake are under the jurisdiction of the Rajuk, but local elected bodies and parliament members of the city’s posh area have taken the initiative to give their citizens relieve from mosquito menace and pollution along with enhance beautification of the area as they pledged before the last general election.