PM pledges to revive rivers

Fri, Jun 5th, 2009 4:51 pm BdST

Dhaka, June 5 (bdnews24.com)—The severely degraded river systems will be reverted to their past grandeur whatever the cost, prime minister Sheikh Hasina declared on Friday. She pledged assistance of her administraion to multidimensional researches into modes of combating environmental disasters. In the same breath, the prime minister urged Bangladeshis to prepare to live with the gradually changing climate regime and to engage in environment-friendly activities only in everyday life. Hasina made the call when she addressed a programme convened by the Department Of Environment, the Ministry of Environment and Forest, at Osmani Memorial Hall in observance of the World Environment Day 2009. She also launched a two-day national environmental programme. "All our rivers today have lost the free flows they had in the past due to heavy silt deposition. "Once the rivers are given back their original beds, the frequent overflowing will cease, reducing the negative impacts of the global climate change in our region." Since time immemorial, the ample river systems have maintained the environmental balance in Bangladesh, she said. The rivers have been losing their water-retention capacity due to heavy siltation and unbridled encroachment, she said and called on all to resolve to do their best to save the dying rivers. The quality of water of the rivers contiguous to Dhaka has so deteriorated that they are no more fit for any use, she observed. Therefore, the prime minister said, the government's pledge on the World Environment Day is: We must save the rivers. "This is going to be a huge, time consuming and challenging project. But we must do it," Hasina said. She said her administration received good responses from international agencies after knocking at other nations' doors for assistance, All the rivers will be brought under the project, she said, starting with work on the river Jamuna. "Whatever the costs be, we'll do the job and save people from imminent catastrophe." She stressed dredging, river training and adopting erosion countering measures to save the rivers. As a component of the complex food security issue, Hasina stressed the need for storing at least two to three years' foodcrops as a first step. "We must ensure food security for all despite the fact that our population is growing and we will be visited by floods, cyclones, pest attacks etc." "Arrangements must be in place to raise a buffer stock good enough to meet the nation's need through two-three years. We'll do it through increasing food production." She said, due to the changing climate, agriculture dependent Bangladesh has of late been recurrently ravaged by cyclones, floods, storm surges and other natural disasters. To tide over such losses, she urged the scientists to carry out research on organic manure, hybrid crops etc under changing climate conditions. Prime minister Hasina also stressed raising green belts all across the country and especially along the coasts. "We all must plant trees and nurture green belts to protect our people and resources against natural disasters such as the recurrent cyclonic storms and tidal surges." On the other hand, she pointed out, there is scarcity of water in the capital and other arid zones such as the north-western regions. "We happen to have a lot of rainfall across the country, which means we can harvest huge volumes of fresh water and use it for all necessary and productive purposes including agriculture." She emphasised the need for appropriate researches into innovating and developing newer species and breeds of crops suiting the gradually changing climate regimes in different regions of the country. "Our scientists must work in unison to find ways and modes in helping the nation cope with the changing climes, survive and uplift quality of life simultaneously." She urged all concerned to find ways of practising agriculture shunning chemicals—pesticides and manures—and highlight their negative impacts. "Along with extensive use of chemicals in farming, unplanned industrialisation and untreated waste dumping in the open water have resulted in grievous deterioration of the health of our rivers around Dhaka and other major metropolitan townships." Steps to make all the environment-polluting industries environmentally friendly are being taken by the government and any lack of cooperation here will be seriously dealt with, she warned. The prime minister handed out environment medals awarded to recipients in four branches—environment conservation, environmental pollution control, environmental research and technology innovation, and environmental education and campaign. The Daily Star received 'National Environment Award 2009' for environmental education and campaign. Contractor Md Goher Ali, Square Knit Fabrics Limited and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute were awarded for environment conservation, environment pollution control and invention of research and technology categories, respectively. "This incentive has been introduced to raise environmental awareness among people and to encourage them to undertake environment friendly actions." She next inaugurated a two-day environment fair organised by the ministry. The message of the World Environment Day 2009 is: Your mother earth wants you to combat and cope with climate change.