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Protect rivers from grabbers to ensure people's right to water

Speakers tell workshop

Staff Correspondent
Speakers at a workshop in the city yesterday urged the government to protect the rivers and water bodies from the grabbers and polluters to ensure people's right to water and livelihood.
Non-governmental organisations Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD). Nijera Kori, BNPS, CCDB. Bela. INC1D1N-Ban^ladesh and Nagorik Uddyog jointly organised the daylong workshop on "People's right to safe drinking
water: Management of water and water bodies" at WVA auditorium.
AKM Masud z\li. executive director of INCIDIN Bangladesh (Integrated Community & Industrial Development Initiative in Bangladesh), said the management policy and legal framework must be focused on people's natural right to water.
Though water is a fundamental element for sustenance of human life, majority of the people are deprived of right to water, he said.
Ensuring safe drinking
water for all by 2011 is an election pledge of the incumbent government, he said.
The shortfall in water supply against total demand will be 56 percent by 2025 in the world, he said citing Global Water Grab: Polaris Institute.
AKM Mozammel Haq, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Land, in his speech as the chief guest said inadequate sewer system of Dhaka Wasa contributes significantly to water pollution of rivers around
Dhaka.
The parliamentary committee led by Mozammel Haq has asked the environment and industries ministries to take measures against river pollutions.
The committee has also proposed to the finance minister that government should set up industrial effluent treatment plants and realise cost from the owners with some mechanism later on.
Today, unfortunately, almost any of the 23 canals across Dhaka city is untrace-able, he said, adding that the committee has already instructed the land survey directorate to trace out the original canal areas to go for recovery drive.
He said the government has introduced a new set of rules with effect from June for leasing out water bodies for fishing to the genuine fishermen. not the influential black-moneyed people.
Khushi Kabir, coordinator of ALRD and Nijera Kori, who chaired the workshop, stressed the need for coordination among the ministries concerned to conserve the land, water and forest resources.
ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda spoke at the inaugural session while a good of number of NGO activists took part in the workshop.