Nat’l Committee of civic bodies urges river dredging to curb recurring floods
NN Online Report:
The National Committee to protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) on Sunday called for dredging and excavation of all rivers in the country to deal with annual floods.
Besides, the civic organisation demanded to investigate the corruption and looting of the last 15 years in the name of river digging and excavation and punish those responsible, reports UNB.
Mohammad Shahid Mia, the president of the organisation and its general secretary Ashis Kumar Dey made this demand to the government in a statement.
According to the statement that Bangladesh is the downstream country where the upstream water will come naturally during the monsoon.
It also said that most of the country’s rivers, including big rivers, are endangered due to encroachment and pollution, neglect and severe navigation crisis.
There are also problems with India over trans-boundary river water like Farakka Dam and Teesta Barrage. Apart from this, due to climate change, excessive rainfall and cyclone-floods are hitting us occasionally. In this situation, it has become essential to increase the water capacity of rivers to deal with floods.
The NCPSRR leaders said, all rivers should be dug and deepened so that the water capacity of all the rivers of the country increases.
At the same time, the leaders of the National Committee urged to strengthen the diplomatic activities to collect the fair share of the water of 54 transboundary rivers flowing over Bangladesh-India.
Mentioning that there has been corruption and looting in the last 15 years in the name of river digging and rescue of defunct waterways, the statement said, a high-level national investigation committee comprising with experts should be formed to bring corrupt ministers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, engineers and related contractors under the law.