River erosion has decreased across the country due to effective measures from the government, said Deputy Minister for Water Resources Enamul Hoque Shameem on Saturday.
“Due to effective measures, the amount of river erosion across the country has come down from 9,500 hectares to 3,500 hectares in the last 13 years,” he said while talking to reporters after inspecting an erosion prevention project at the Majhirghat Zero Point area in Shariatpur on Saturday afternoon.
A project worth Tk1,173 crore from Zero Point of Padma Bridge to Bilampur in Zajira is also under process. The 8.67-km project will start work in July 2023 and be completed in June 2026, he said.
“The Padma Bridge was built under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina. And the importance of Shariatpur has increased a lot due to this bridge. Four years ago, there was river erosion in Naria. Thousands of people have lost their homes. Due to various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, there is no river erosion in Naria anymore. Erosion-hit Naria has now become a tourist destination,” the deputy minister added.
“From Naria to Kalkini in Madaripur district through the district headquarters, the project of protecting both sides of the Kirtinasha River is progressing. If these projects are implemented, river erosion and waterlogging will be reduced to a great extent. Care should be taken to ensure that the work is done with quality. No negligence, irregularities and corruption in the work will be tolerated,” Shameem also said.
The deputy minister said local projects have been taken across the country and the people of Bangladesh will be protected from waterlogging and river erosion to a great extent in the next few years. And the benefits will come in a few years.
Under the direct supervision of the prime minister, permanent projects have been made to prevent erosion. Every dam in the coastal area has been widened and raised and forested. And in these local projects, river mining has been made mandatory and manpower has also been increased for its maintenance, he said further.