River Dredging
Expert body within 7-day
The government on Tuesday decided to form an expert committee within seven days to make recommendations on the best use of soil to be lifted from river beds while dredging the rivers.
Planning Minister AK Khandaker said this to reporters after presiding over the seventh meeting on River Management, Flood Control, River Dredging and Preservation at the water resources ministry in the city.
Water Development Board Director General Habibur Rahman has been assigned to form the expert committee which will submit its recommendations within two months.
The planning minister said since navigability of rivers has been reduced significantly, all the rivers will be brought under the dredging plan; and question arises over the dumping of the soil while dredging the rivers.
If the soil is dumped on cultivable lands, it would create problem. The soil can not also be kept on the river bank, he said.
The expert committee will make recommendations on how the soil could be used efficiently.
The government would also consider the offer from abroad to buy soil from Bangladesh, the minister said.
Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan said after 1975 no government had undertaken dredging programme, and due to this negligence navigability of the rivers has been reduced alarmingly.
The present government has bought dredgers, and undertaken the dredging programme on priority basis to increase the navigability, he said.
Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen said there are 310 rivers and 700 rivulets in the country. The government has decided to dredge major rivers including Jamuna, Brahmaputra and Padma.
Already dredging has started in Buriganga river, he said, adding tender will be floated for dredging the other rivers.
State Minister for Water Resources Mahbubur Rahman and senor officials from the ministries concerned attended the meeting.
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