220km riverside walkways to be built around Dhaka

Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan yesterday said a total of 220 kilometres of walkways would be built on riversides surrounding the capital in phases.

“We will evict illegal structures from the banks of rivers Buriganga, Shitalakkhya and Balu and build 52-kilometre walkways on the riversides at first to make sure that these banks don't get occupied in the future again,” he said.

“We will also install 10,820 durable border pillars afresh to mark the river banks,” he added.

The minister was addressing a ceremony to lay foundations of walkway, river border pillars, eco-park and jetty on Ashulia Landing Station premises.

He urged all to work together to protect rivers. “Rivers are the lifeline of the nation and the country would not exist if the rivers are gone,” he said.

Apart from building 52-kilometre walkways, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is going to construct 44,783 metres of river bank protection, 1,000 metres of key-wall, RCC jetty with 19 RCC steps, three eco-parks and install 10,820 river border pillars under a four-year project at a cost of Tk 845.55 crore.