DHAKA, May 23, (V7N) – Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today announced that efforts to reclaim and depollute the Turag River are set to commence shortly.

Speaking as the chief guest at the 24th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Bangladesh Zoological Society at Dhaka University's Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, Rizwana, who also serves as the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser, stated, "A work plan on the Turag may be finalized by early June. In addition, the work plans of the remaining three rivers around Dhaka, Buriganga, Sitalakshya and Balu, will also be finalized and taken forward."

The adviser emphasized the long-term vision, saying, "We will also finalize the work plan for reclaiming and depolluting the river, so that those who come to power in future can take this work forward. If we want to save the river, we have to reclaim and depollute it along with dredging it."

Rizwana acknowledged the public's high expectations from the interim government. "Since we took office, the people have high expectations from us, and the pressure of expectations is also high," she noted. She stated that the government has adopted a plan to transform the country's rivers into clear blue water, keeping this goal in mind.

Highlighting the dire state of Dhaka's surrounding rivers, she pointed out that Turag, Balu, and Buriganga are devoid of life due to severe pollution. While Shitalakshya still retains some life, she stressed the need for improved waste management and the establishment of sewage treatment plants to halt pollution.

Rizwana also referenced Hatirjheel, a popular spot in Dhaka, lamenting that its foul-smelling water deters visitors. To biologically restore rivers, she suggested, water flow in rivers and canals must be reinstated. She concluded by underscoring the imperative to stop river encroachment and pollution, assuring that enforcement activities would be further strengthened to combat encroachment.

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