Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said the Surma and Kushiara rivers in Sylhet will be dredged to restore their navigability and prevent floods in this area.
“The bed of the two main rivers of Sylhet–Surma and Kushiara– has been filled. We have plans to dredge the river before the next monsoon,” he said while distributing relief among the flood victims in Sylhet.
Expressing sympathy for the flood victims, Momen added: “The water will not last long. It will go down quickly. The government will extend all possible assistance, including relief, to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Sylhet affected by flash floods.”
The minister mentioned that 33 shelters have already been set up for the flood-hit people in Sylhet sadar. “More shelters will be set up if necessary.”
The foreign minister reached Sylhet this afternoon and went to various shelters in Sylhet and talked to the flood-hit people.
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He first distributed relief among the flood victims who took shelter at Chalibandar Ramakrishna High School and later at Kishore Mohan Balak Government Primary School in Mirabazar.
Earlier, the foreign minister and the State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman attended a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's Office in Sylhet to review the flood situation in the district.
Md Enamur said: “Tk25 lakh and 200 metric tons of rice have been allocated for the flood-hit areas of Sylhet. More allocations will be made if required.”
The state minister further said that a meeting on Delta Plan is scheduled for Sunday, where here the issue of river dredging in Sylhet will be discussed.
“If the Delta Plan is implemented by 2031, the country will reach a flood-tolerant level,” he assured.