Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, stated that the critical rivers across the country we must be saved. To this end, she instructed the River Research Institute to prepare a list of these rivers.
The advisor made these remarks today, Wednesday (July 23), while presiding over the 56th board meeting of the River Research Institute’s Board of Directors at the conference room of Pani Bhaban in Dhaka.
Advisor Rizwana Hasan further added that a list should be compiled, in conjunction with the National River Protection Commission, of rivers that are dying due to siltation and that can be saved.
The Water Resources Advisor also directed the River Research Institute to adopt an action plan for the critical rivers that can be rescued. And for this, necessary measures can be taken with support from the Climate Change Trust Fund.
She emphasized, “We need to identify where the critical rivers are located across the country.”
She further stated, “We need to identify the crises affecting these critical rivers and determine what actions are necessary to overcome them.” For this purpose, Advisor Rizwana Hasan instructed the concerned authorities to form a five-member committee comprising representatives from BUET, CEGIS, a Board member, an expert from the River Research Institute, and one Officer from the Ministry. This committee will evaluate the critical rivers and provide necessary recommendations.
The board meeting was attended by Nazmul Ahsan, Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources; Engineer Md. Enayet Ullah, Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board; Malik Fida A. Khan, Executive Director of CEGIS; researcher and professor Dr. Md. Manzurul Kibria; Abu Horayra, Director General (Joint Secretary) of the River Research Institute; and other board members.