The government along with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) have taken several initiatives to restore our waterways. In that continuity, under various dredging projects, several riverways have been re-established.
Regulatory bodies have a target of dredging 10,000 km riverways by 2023. They have also a yearly target and the dredging works are going on to fulfil that.
The government has taken up the projects to restore navigability. Most of the rivers have lost their capacity to contain water because of heavy siltation and the construction of illegal structures on riverbeds.
All round river dredging programmes
are a must to ensure sustainable
evelopment of waterways
This is the reason why water crisis goes high in the winter. Moreover, due to dumping of wastes including industrial wastes, pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, water in the rivers is severely polluted. This is ultimately abolishing the natural ecosystem and making it unfit for human consumption.
The government and relevant agencies must now take a strong position to save the riverbeds. Proper and strict measures are a must in restoring the riverways and also to save them from occupancy. To increase the water holding capacity of our rivers, the government can remove the silt deposited at the bottom of the river through constant dredging. During the dry season, many of our rivers dry up and heavy vehicles pass through them. All these rivers can physically be excavated using our youths.
Read more: BIWTA demolishes 60 illegal structures in N’ganj
All round river dredging programmes are a must to advance development projects with a greater waterway infrastructure budget which will safeguard sustainable development of waterways.