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Build Ganges Barrage to increase river navigability

Speakers tell discussion

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a discussion meeting yesterday stressed the need for implementing the long-proposed Ganges Barrage Project in order to increase river navigability in south -western region and save the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
The meeting titled 'Save the river. Save the country’ was organised by Nodi Sangskar, Pani Shasan O Byabohar Sangram Parishad, Bangladesh (NSPSOBSPB), an organisation working for developing water resources, at the Institute of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) auditorium in the city.
The meeting put forward an eight-point demand including reforms of rivers, haors, baors and beds in planned ways, preservation of rain water for dry season, rehabilitation of the victims of river erosion, stoppage of using ground water and freeing the rivers from illegal occupation.
Speaking as chief discussant at the meeting, Awami League (AL)
Presidium Member and former Water Resources Minister Abdur Razzak said. "If the Ganges Barrage is not built, water that flows down from the Farakka cannot be channelled through other rivers of the country, and as a result, the Sundarbans and the Gorai project will be damaged, and at least three crore people in the region will be displaced from their homes."
He said if the AL is again voted to power in the next general election, it will build the Ganges Barrage on priority basis in order to increase the flow of water in different rivers and canals of the region.
"The AL is a pro-people organisation, and it never hesitates to take any initiative for tire interest of people. If the projects, undertaken during the period of Sheikh Hasina-lcd government, were implemented, the problems would not have arisen now. The previous four-party alliance government suspended all those projects," he added.
The AL leader said if human and water resources of tire country are
properly utilised, 70 percent of its problems would be solved very easily.
"Human and water resources arc two main assets of Bangladesh, and If these arc properly utilised like China. Bangladesh will become a rich country in the world," he said, adding that the using ol ground water will have to be stopped by enacting laws.
Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) Secretary General and former state minister Major (retd) MA Mannan said steps will have to be taken to stop river erosion and flood, and preserve water for dry season to avoid any serious disaster.
NSPSOBSPB member-secretary Md Tariquzzaman Reza presented a written statement at the meeting.
Presided over by NSPSOBSPB Convener SM Shahadat Hossain Hamza, the meeting was also addressed by former Navy Chief Rear Admiral (retd) AbuTaher, and water resources experts Dr Zahirul Islam, engineer Asaduzzaman and Abdul Aziz.