Tk 25,000cr water mgmt on cards: Dr Moyeen 

 
LGRD Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Thursday said that a plan of Tk 25,000 crore integrated water management project is being considered for ensuring safe drinking water for its 18 crore people and addressing growing water-related challenges.

Speaking with journalists after a meeting with a UNICEF delegation at the Secretariat he said, the meeting discussed safe water supply, sanitation, the impact of climate change, drinking water in coastal areas and overall water management.

He said water could become one of the biggest challenges for Bangladesh and the world in the future. The country must therefore start taking steps now to ensure sustainable water management and safe drinking water for its 18 crore people.

Dr Moyeen Khan said the proposed project would cost around US$2.1 billion, equivalent to about Tk 25,000 crore. The government is planning to involve UNICEF, the World Bank, WaterAid and other relevant organisations in the initiative.

“Water is another name for life. People cannot live without water. But if water is polluted or contaminated with germs, it can become a cause of death,” he said.

The minister said water could become one of the biggest challenges for Bangladesh in the future and could also create a major global crisis. He stressed that water management must be given importance in every area of the country’s development planning.

He said Bangladesh has plenty of water in its rivers, but many rivers are drying up. Reduced water flow due to upstream withdrawal is contributing to a desertification situation in the northern region, while its effects are also being felt in the southern part of the country.

When river flows decline, saline water from the sea moves further inland, he said. As a result, many coastal areas have been facing a serious shortage of safe drinking water for years.

The minister stressed the need to learn from the experiences of developed countries in water management. Bangladesh should learn from the negative effects of excessive use of natural resources and build a sustainable water management system, he said.

He also said water is closely linked with Bangladesh’s development and industrialisation. The textile and garment industries, in particular, use large amounts of water. At the same time, industrial waste is polluting the water of many rivers and canals.

Development must continue, but it should not harm people’s lives or the environment, Dr Moyeen Khan said. Ensuring good housing alone is not enough; safe water and a healthy environment must also be ensured.

The meeting was informed that projects worth around US$1.2 billion are currently being implemented with UNICEF by the Department of Public Health Engineering, WASAs and the Local Government Engineering Department under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.

UNICEF Bangladesh Representative ad interim Gillian Mellsop, Deputy Country Representative (Programme) Emmanuel Abreu and a 10-member delegation attended the meeting. Representatives of the World Bank and WaterAid were also present.

The minister said it is the responsibility of Bangladesh to ensure safe water for its people. Discussions were also held on financing and implementation arrangements for the proposed project, alongside plans for coordinated work with the United Nations and other development partners.