Water bus services are set to return to the circular waterways around Dhaka within the next two to three months, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said on Monday.
The service will be relaunched to ease traffic congestion and encourage greater use of the waterways, with a new management system introduced to address the problems that caused losses in the past.
The minister made the remarks in reply to a supplementary question from Kishoreganj-2 lawmaker Mujibur Rahman during the third session of the 13th National Parliament.
“Water bus services have been operating around Dhaka for the past 10 years. However, due to mismanagement, the sector incurred losses of Tk570 million during this period, or around Tk57 million a year,” he said.
“BIWTA has identified the problems. Water buses will be put back into service soon to ensure easier movement,” Shaikh Rabiul Alam added.
Govt measures to curb river pollution
The shipping minister said 424 spots around Dhaka, including the Buriganga River, have been identified as sources of river pollution involving chemical, liquid and solid waste.
He said WASA, city corporations, BIWTA and the Ministry of Water Resources are working together under the prime minister’s leadership to free the rivers from pollution.
The Ministries of Environment and Industries have also taken measures to prevent industrial waste from entering rivers.
