Bangladesh Orders Final Count Of Rivers Within Two Months

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), National River Protection Commission, and Divisional Commissioners have been instructed to finalise the exact number of rivers across the country within the next two months.

The directive was issued by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, during an inter-ministerial virtual meeting held on September 4.

The meeting focused on determining the precise number of rivers in Bangladesh, addressing issues of river encroachment, and mitigating pollution.

Rizwana Hasan emphasised that the jointly prepared list of rivers must be made public on a website, allowing for feedback and objections.

Where applicable, hearings will be conducted on the objections raised.

A time-bound and cost-effective action plan must be submitted within two months, identifying at least one river in each of the country's 64 districts for the removal of illegal encroachments.

The encroachment removal will be conducted through a coordinated operation.

The Department of Environment will prepare a list of the country's most polluted rivers, identifying individuals and institutions responsible for the pollution.

The department will also carry out regular monitoring and enforcement activities. In addition, a plan to combat plastic pollution will be formulated, with specific rivers affected by plastic pollution identified. Every river will be issued a "health card," detailing the condition of the river and its ecosystem.

The adviser stressed the importance of community involvement, stating that local residents, youth groups, social organisations, and NGOs must be included in these operations and given responsibility for ongoing monitoring. She also called for the reduction of plastic use in offices, including banning plastic water bottles, folders and banners.

Regarding the proposed Dhaka Circular Waterway, Rizwana Hasan instructed the BIWTA to consult experts on the project's latest developments and its feasibility.

The progress of implementing these directives will be regularly reviewed by the relevant ministries.

In accordance with a court order, the National River Protection Commission must finalise its proposal to amend its governing law within the next three months. A committee will be formed to carry out this task.

The meeting also decided that a detailed list of current and completed river dredging projects, along with their costs and environmental impact, would be compiled and reported.

In the meeting, the Shipping Adviser instructed divisional commissioners and district administrators to take steps to free the banks of significant rivers, such as the Kirtonkhola and Rupsha, from illegal encroachments.

He further urged the Ministry of Environment to launch a campaign to promote the widespread use of eco-friendly jute bags as a replacement for banned polythene bags.

The meeting was convened following discrepancies in the reported number of rivers in Bangladesh by various authorities, including the BWDB, the River Protection Commission, the Ministry of Shipping, and water experts.

This discussion took place in light of the Supreme Court's High Court Division's directive to implement the rulings of writ petition No. 8539/2021.

Other notable attendees of the virtual meeting included Nazmul Ahsan, Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, Brigadier General (Retd.) M. Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser to the Ministry of Shipping, and representatives from the Ministry of Jute and Textiles.