Water management must be planned

Speakers yesterday called for adopting a planned water management system for all seasons to overcome drought, flood and river erosion across the country.

They also urged the government to take necessary action to prevent water pollution, while addressing a seminar organised by Bangladesh National Committee of ICID at Buet's Academic Council Building, marking World Water Day-2016

This year's theme of the day is "Water and Jobs".

Water Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said, "Apart from initiating a well-designed water management system, we need to ensure optimum use of water during a crisis."

Criticising building of houses at the low laying lands which get submerged during the monsoon, the minister said, "It is time to take action against those illegally occupying these lands, and we need to create public opinion in this regard."

Anisul said they were adopting projects to reclaim about 15,000 square kilometres of land now under rivers.

Dr Abdul Matin, a professor of the department of water resources engineering at Buet, in his keynote presentation, said, "Safe water management and conservation strategy is inevitable to deal with water crisis during the dry season."

River stabilisation, management and land development projects should be implemented in a planned and coordinated way in order to create more employment opportunities, added Matin.

He suggested lessening dependency on foreign experts as they have "little knowledge" of the country's topography.

While analysing the integral nexus between people's lives and water, President of Bangladesh Water Partnership Dr K Azharul Haq said, "25 ministries and 35 departments of the government are dealing with water issues", adding that some 1.5 billion people of the world were working in sectors relating to water.

Water Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan said employment, lives and livelihoods would be sustainable if water was adequately available.

Meanwhile, Dhaka North City Corporation in association with Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), WaterAid and World Vision organised a discussion and a drawing competition at the capital's IPH School and College to observe the day.

DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq distributed prizes among the participants in the competition.

In addition, Distressed Children and Infants International (DCII), and Rights and Sight for Children (RSC) jointly held a number of events at the capital's Kalyanpur Porabari Slum on the day.

Starting with a colourful rally opened by Dr Nina Hoque, the DCII director, the programme included a seminar and provision of medical services to slum dwellers.

The seminar was attended by Dr Tasnim Mirza of the DCII Health Clinic and Nowroz Jahan, associate professor of National Institute of Kidney Diseases & Urology.

Another seminar styled "Recognising Works in Water" was held at the capital's Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) auditorium in observance of the day yesterday.

The DPHE, Dhaka Water And Sewerage Authority, Wold Bank, and Unicef in association with some other organisations organised the seminar presided over by Md Wali Ullah, chief engineer at the DPHE.