Teesta master plan pilot project to begin soon

The pilot phase of the much-discussed Teesta Master Plan will begin within the next few days, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said on Saturday.

“The technical committee has already started working on implementation of the Teesta Master Plan. At the same time, we are seeking advice and recommendations from experts from different countries,” he told reporters while visiting river erosion-affected areas in Kurigram.

Farhad Hossain said the Teesta Master Plan was a large-scale project that would require time for proper implementation.

“This is a major project and it cannot be implemented in a day. Our government is only five months old. Give us some time. We will begin the Teesta Master Plan as a pilot project within a few days,” he said.
The state minister said the technical committee was working on the project while opinions from international experts were also being collected. Further implementation would proceed based on their recommendations.

Speaking about river erosion in Kurigram, Farhad Hossain said he had inspected several affected areas, including Chilmari Port.

He said two projects had been undertaken in the district to prevent erosion and construct permanent embankments, adding that steps were being taken to accelerate their implementation following a review of progress.

“The government has taken necessary measures to protect homes, markets, mosques, temples and educational institutions from being lost to river erosion,” he said.

Farhad Hossain said field inspections were being carried out with local lawmakers and administration officials under the prime minister’s instructions to assess how quickly the projects could be implemented.

He said political affiliation would not be considered in efforts to protect people from river erosion.
“The government stands with those affected by erosion,” he said.

Emergency protection work is already underway at around 100 erosion-prone locations in Kurigram, he added, saying further instructions would be issued wherever additional measures were required.

Later, the state minister said he would inspect two ongoing World Bank-funded projects in Gaibandha.
Kurigram-4 MP Mostafizur Rahman, Kurigram-3 MP Barrister Mahbub Salehi, reserved-seat MP Suraiya Jerin Roni, Kurigram Deputy Commissioner Annapurna Debnath, Kurigram Water Development Board Executive Engineer Rakibul Hasan and local political leaders and officials accompanied him during the visit.