TANGAIL. Oct 9 : Local MPs of both position and opposition, UP chairmen, leaders of professional groups/joumallsts and the elite have agreed that the FAP (Flood Action Plan) pilot project taken up in Tangail was necessary for the development of the area and emphasised on its fast completion to avoid wastage of resources, says a BSS report.

Those who were opposing the implementation of the project could not present any reasonable cause or suggest measures to enrich the project planning, they observed.

State Minister for Industries Lutfar Rahman Khan attended the meeting of a cross section of people, organised by Flood Action Plan authorities Thursday, to discuss measures to ensure public participation in the compartmentallsation pilot project (FAP-20) in Tangail.

Chief Engineer of Flood Plan Coordination Organisation (FPCO) A M Siddiqui Bir Uttam chaired the function.

Speaking on the occasion the state minister said the FAP-20 project was approved following all feasibility and environmental

assessment studies and eon-sultlng the people of the project area and now it was on its implementation stage.

He said some NGOs were vocal against the implementation of the project but they themselves were not sure of their objectives.

Rahman, however, said the experts must be sure that the project would ensure balanced welfare of all section of people and sustainable development.

He also emphasised on participation of local people and groups including NGOs In the development projects but cautioned that no vested quarters might Interfere in the projects.

Begum Matia Choudhury. MP said flood management projects were needed to protect and promote the country's limited resources but it had to be ensured that one project might not cause damage to other areas.

Shahjahan Siraj, MP said the people were well aware of their problems and as they approved the project no one should oppose, that unless there was a Justified reason.

Khondokar Badaruddin. MP said some NGOs were trying to foil the project whose objectives were not clear to the people.

Abu Kaisar, MP said If the MPs and local people's representatives could ensure their due role In development programmes, problems in implementation of projects could be avoided.

Referring to the project planning process, he said, "We need foreign consultants but they must be aware of the problems of the people and of the area."

FPCO Chief Engineer. Siddiqui said FAP authorities were aware of the possible demerits of the FAP projects and allout measures were being taken to minimise them.

He said, successful implementation of the FAP projects would promote environment particularly in the urban areas.

UP chairmen of the FAP-20 area said the people of their re-. spective areas were aware of the project planning. The chairmen assured allout cooperation for the Implementation of the project and urged the FAP authorities to ensure their effective par-

ticipation in the implementation process.

Explaining the objectives of FAP-20, its Project Director and the team leader Obaldur Rahman and Hans Visser said the project would develop procedures for controlled flooding and Improve drainage situation inside the compartment which would be surrounded by embankments with gated and ungated openings.

With the completion of the project the 13,169 hactares of compartment area including Tangail town would come under an integrated water management system.

This would prevent damage of properties and crops worth Taka 6.5 million annually and expand transplanted aman rice production area from 220 hactares to 1977 hactares. Of the Intensity, crop production will gradually rise from 203 per cent to 220 per cent.

They, however, said that the project would cause loss of flood plains fisheries and hamper internal navigation at some-points, but mitigation plans were there to minimise the loss,' they said.