The government has finalized the draft Haor Protection Order under the Water Act 2013 and announced three water-critical areas across the country for the first time.
The draft Water Management Policy 2025 to control water use in the industrial sector was also finalized at the 18th meeting of the executive committee of the National Water Resources Council.
The executive committee met on Sunday at the conference room of the Green Roads Water Building in Dhaka, said a press release on Monday.
Water Resources and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan chaired the meeting, while Agriculture Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was also present.
Following detailed surveys and investigations under Sections 17 and 19 of the Bangladesh Water Act 2013, out of 215 unions (4,911 mouzas) in 25 upazilas of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Naogaon districts in the northwestern hydrological region, 47 unions (1,503 mouzas) have been identified as extremely high water crisis areas.
Similarly, out of 17 unions (104 mouzas) and one municipality (8 mouzas) in Patiya upazila of Chittagong district, three unions (7 mouzas) and one municipality (5 mouzas) have been identified as very high water crisis areas.
Water use in these areas will be regulated under the Water Act, with a committee tasked to finalize measures within a month to ensure drinking water and water for household use.
The meeting also recommended conducting a survey in Subarnachar, Noakhali district, to verify water quality. At the same time, it was decided to continue ongoing work to verify groundwater availability in the remaining 14 districts out of 50 under assessment.
In this regard, the meeting resolved to issue the first-ever Haor Environment Protection Order under Sections 22 and 27 of the Water Act 2013, aimed at conserving the biodiversity and ecosystem of two internationally significant wetlands — Tanguar Haor and Hakaluki Haor.
The meeting further underscored weak implementation of the Water Act 2013 and the need for stronger enforcement.