Staff Correspondent 

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has ordered to further accelerate ongoing activities to prevent pollution of rivers around Dhaka and keep the water flow of the canals of the metropolis active.

The State Minister gave this directive in the chairman's address at a meeting held in the capital on Wednesday to review the overall progress of canal excavation activities under the city corporations under Dhaka Metropolitan City and the activities of sewage treatment plants under Dhaka WASA.

The State Minister said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emphasized the importance of making the rivers around Dhaka pollution-free, restoring the flow of water and restoring the beauty of the rivers. As per the Prime Minister's instructions, the ongoing activities surrounding the canals and rivers of Dhaka must be taken forward under an integrated plan.

The State Minister also said that the canals under the jurisdiction of Dhaka North and South City Corporations should be cleaned, boundaries should be demarcated, water flow should be made operational and necessary infrastructure should be built. In this regard, to ensure long-term benefits, modern and sustainable plans should be adopted and new projects should be initiated as needed.

The meeting reviewed the progress of ongoing activities including cleaning of 26 canals under Dhaka South City Corporation and 29 under Dhaka North City Corporation, demarcation of boundaries, construction of retaining walls and walkways. The concerned project directors highlighted the progress of their respective projects, implementation status and various challenges. 

The meeting was attended by Md. Shahidul Hasan, Secretary of the Local Government Division, Md. Abdus Salam, Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation, and heads of relevant departments, Dr. Muha. Moniruzzaman, Managing Director of Dhaka WASA, Muhammad Asaduzzaman, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka North City Corporation, and heads of relevant departments, directors of all projects related to Dhaka WASA Sewage Treatment Plant, and senior officials of the ministry.