Local Government and Rural Development Minister Md Tazul Islam said that a 10-year master plan has been sketched out to increase navigability of rivers around Dhaka and the Karnaphuli river of Chittagong and free them from land grabbers and pollution.
Tazul Islam came up with the statement after a meeting of a committee on the master plan on Thursday.
The committee was formed as per the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
An eviction drive is being conducted to free the banks of the Buriganga and Shitalakhya rivers and these drives will be carried out soon in all other rivers, said the minister.
He also said that the plan will be finalized in the next meeting and it will be implemented in different phases.
Responding to a question whether any plan will be taken to solve the water-logging problem in the city, Tazul Islam said that it is not possible to resolve the problem instantly.
"We are taking initiatives. We will do whatever is necessary to keep the situation at a tolerable level," he said.
The minister also said that initiatives will be taken soon to clean the clogged drains under the two city corporations in Dhaka and Chittagong.
"As per the instructions of the prime minister, we have taken an initiative to develop a planned city at the upazila level," he said.
