'Govt firm to evict river encroachers'

Water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud on Thursday said that the government is determined to evict all encroachers from the rivers.

"There is a close relation between the river and development ... so and we must protect our rivers," he told a national workshop on "Long term solution to the water-logging in Bhabodah area" at the deputy commissioner's office.

Chaired by deputy commissioner in Jessore Humayun Kabir, the workshop was addressed, among others, by state minister for water resources Md Nazrul Islam, state minister for public administration Ismot Ara Sadique, lawmaker Swapan Bhattachariya and senior secretary to the water resources ministry Zafar Ahmed Khan.

Director general of Bangladesh Water Development Board Jahangir Kabir, Monirampur upazila chairman Amzad Hossain Lovelu, upazila chairman of Avaynagar Nurul Haq Mollah and upazila chairman of Keshabpur S M Amir Hossain also spoke on the occasion.

Anisul Islam Mahmud said that the government has taken initiatives to solve the water-logging problem in the area and two excavators would be engaged in dredging small rivers and canals of the area from first week of April.

"The projects would be implemented by involving local people including elected representatives," he added.

Referring to a survey report on implementation of "Tidal River Management (TRM) System" in the waterlogged area, the minister said that 94 per cent people of the area in favour of the TRM system.

"The compensation for the affected people of the region would be disbursed among them," he added.

Anisul put emphasis on creating mass awareness against river encroachment and also in favour of TRM system.

Three upazilas of the district -- Monirampur, Avaynagar and Keshabpur --- were marooned last year and over 10 lakh people were badly affected due to water-logging.