Excavation of rivers this year to ease city water crisis

4 April 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The government will excavate the river from the Jamuna to the Dhaleswari for bringing water to the Buriganga by this year to remove water crisis in the city, said Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen yesterday. "We cannot depend on groundwater, we need to utilise water of the Buriganga and other rivers around the city. For that, we'll finish dredging the river from the Jamuna to the Dhaleswar this year with our own capacity to bring water to the Buriganga." The minister said this to reporters after attending a seminar in the city. He said, "If we make the water of the Buriganga clean and utilise it, there would be no water crisis in the capital. We must go for surface water." Replying to a question, Ramesh said they have sat with the industries minister and decided to take action against those who would pollute the Buriganga. "Tanneries are mainly responsible for pollution of the Buriganga. The tanneries will be relocated to Savar within six months," he added. The seminar on 'Role of River Research Institute and Its Future Plan' was organised by River Research Institute (RRI) at the conference room of Water Development Board. State Minister for Water Resources Md Mahabubur Rahman and Water Resources Secretary Shaikh Md Wahid-uz-Zaman were also present at the seminar.