State Minister for Zahid Faruq Sunday asked the authorities to take necessary measures for stopping illegal sand lifting to prevent riverbank erosion in the country, reports BSS.“Riverbank erosion is one of key reasons for riverbank erosion… So, we have to take all necessary steps for stopping such harmful practices,” he told a meeting in Nabinagar upazila in the district.
Zahid urged the people should be aware on dishonest businessmen for topping lifting of sands from riverbank areas. “We have distributed relief materials among riverbank erosion victims as part of our rehabilitation programmes… The government has identified 66 riverbank-prone areas so that people living in those areas could take precautionary measures to prevent possible damages,” the state minister added.
Zahid said as Bangladesh is a flood-prone country, riverbank erosion is a common phenomenon here. Adequate precautionary measures including issuing riverbank prediction messages alongside maintenances of flood protection dams should be taken to prevent lives and property from riverbank erosion, he added. Local lawmaker Ebadul Karim Bulbul, Director General of Bangladesh Water development Board Mahfuzur Rahman and representatives of local government bodies and officials, among others, attended the meeting.