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Friday | October 16, 2026 | Dhaka

‘Govt takes tough measures to restore Barnoi River’

 Rajshahi Correspondent
 Published: 12:01 AM, 16 October 2026
RAJSHAHI: State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad inspects the Barnoi River restoration project site near Nowhata Bridge in Pabaupazila on Thursday.

The government is taking strict measures to restore the Barnoi River, which flows through Rajshahi and Natore districts, by freeing it from encroachment and pollution State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said on Thursday.

A special task force has been formed to prevent renewed encroachment, filling and pollution after dredging, State Minister for Water Resources said after inspecting the project site near Nowhata Bridge in Paba upazila of Rajshahi on Thursday.

The task force will inspect the project area every 15 days and submit reports, while monthly reports on the overall condition of rivers and canals will be sent to the Prime Minister, he added.

He said the Barnoi River had long been affected by siltation, encroachment and pollution. Local residents had complained that contact with the polluted water caused skin sores or that they developed them after crossing the river.

The Ministry of Water Resources has undertaken dredging and restoration work to ease public suffering and improve the quality of the river water, he added.

Farhad Hossain Azad said many rivers and canals were encroached upon in the past, with structures built on them after dredging. The government is determined to prevent such practices from recurring in the case of the Barnoi River.

A monitoring committee comprising two representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources, two local public representatives and two representatives of the district administration has also been formed to oversee the project and monitor the river’s condition regularly.

The state minister sought cooperation from all concerned to restore the river’s natural flow. He said steps were being taken in coordination with Rajshahi City Corporation and the local member of parliament to ensure that municipal waste and other refuse were not dumped into the river after dredging, causing it to become polluted and silted up again.

He expressed hope that collective efforts would help the Barnoi River regain its former condition.
Among those present during the inspection were Advocate Shafiqul Haque Milon, chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Water Resources and member of parliament for Rajshahi-3, and Md Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, administrator of Rajshahi City Corporation.

Also present were Md Ruhul Amin, director general of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB); Md Ibnul Abedin, Paba Upazila Nirbahi Officer; Mohammad Mehedi Hasan, assistant commissioner (land); Partha Sarkar, sub-divisional engineer of BWDB in Rajshahi; Superintending Engineer Mehedi Hasan; and other officials concerned.