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Tough law to stop river occupation on cards

Staff Correspondent
The government plans to pass a stringent legislation and amend the law to stop encroachment of rivers and ensure their natural flow in the national interest, water resources ministry officials said.
The ministry placed a plan to a cabinet meeting on June 7 packing the proposals to erase the flaws in the law that water downs the moves to stop reckless use of water.
The plan allows no installation within 50 yards of the banks of a river and wants to raze all illegal structures in a tough line with adequate legal coverage.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said his minis-
try placed the scheme for coordinated utilisation of water after working out the plan along with eight other ministries including the local government, rural development and cooperatives, shipping, agriculture, land, fisheries and livestock and environment.
He said the cabinet appreciated the plan and formed a committee to prepare a comprehensive proposal in next three months.
Hafiz was made chairman of the committee and the names of its members will be announced in a day or two.
"We will start functioning immediately after the formation of the full-fledged committee because a coordinated plan is urgently required for the national interest,"
Hafiz added.
The proposal says the eight ministries related with water and rivers will play their roles to protect rivers and other water-bodies.
On extraction of sand from riverbeds, the draft plan says permission from the Water Development Board will be required for the purpose as indiscriminate extractions over the years changed the natural course of rivers, causing adverse effects.
The proposal also calls for punishment to people who will obstruct river flows, currently commonplace across Bangladesh by fishermen and farmers who use river waters in irrigation.
State Minister for Water Resources Goutam Chakraborty told The Daily Star that the government began discussion with India for peaceful solution to sharing of common river waters, including of the Ganges and Teesta.
He said the technical committee on Teesta waters would sit in Dhaka from July 15-16.
Dhaka has proposed a ministerial level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission in mid-August.
Earlier, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Veena Sikri called on him at his secretariat office yesterday morning and discussed bilateral issues.