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323-point recommendation to check floods submitted to PM

UNB, Dhaka
A package of expert recommendations for managing floods and water in the country was submitted to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday.
It would need around 2.2 billion US dollars for total implementation of the recommendations.
Receiving the recommendations, Khaleda said the curse of floods could be turned into blessings of national life through gradually implementing the recommendations prepared by a national workshop.
Addressing a function marking the release of recommendations of the National Workshop on "Options for Flood Risks and Damage Reduction in Bangladesh," she said it is a huge task to implement the recommendations rather than its formulation.
Under the personal initiative of Khaleda, the PMO organised the three-day broad-based workshop, first of its kind in the country, that began on September 7.
Managing director of Dhaka WASA ANH Akhtar Hossain yesterday presented the recommendations in text form along with its implementation matrix at the International Conference Center at the PMO complex.
Total recommendations are 323 of which 14 are common in more than one of the six working groups. It would take around 2.2 billion US dollars for total implementation of the recommendations while 37
recommendations would not need any financial involvement
The major recommendations include capacity building of vulnerable people in flood-prone areas, construction of 3-4-storied cluster residences with all necessary amenities on ground above high flood level, activation of disaster management committee at differ-
ent levels all over the country and improvement of the existing flood forecasting system to increase lead time.
Stress has been laid on improvement of drainage and sanitation in all major metropolises, especially of Dhaka city.
Some significant observations, including fostering regional cooperation among co-basin countries such as
China, India, Nepal and Bhutan for collaboration in management of water and floods, came out from the workshop.
As part of the preparedness programme, promotion and strengthening indigenous coping mechanisms and survival techniques among the vulnerable people have been suggested.
There are 37 recommendations without any timeframe while 36 have been identified as immediate to be implemented in six months, 211 midterm with implementation period ranging from 6 to 24 months and finally 39 long-term recommendations.
Khaleda said coordinated decision would have to be taken by the ministries concerned for implementation of the recommendations.
An inter-ministerial implementation committee will be formed with the PM's principal secretary as its chief and concerned secretaries of the government and chiefs of organisation members.
It would need external assistance to take step in light of the recommendations and the PM called for sending those recommendations to the development partners to begin discussion for the funding.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman assured that there would be "no dearth of funds" for implementation of the recommen-
dations.
He expressed his willingness as finance minister to pay compensation for removal of infrastructures that block natural flow of water and drainage.
Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed and Food and Disaster Minister Kamal-Ibne Yusuf also spoke.