Call for long-term, short-term plans for S-W zone
Speakers at a meeting yesterday said long-term and short-term plans should be undertaken with the participation of the local people to address the problem of waterlogging in the southwestern zone of the country.
They also blamed the Water Development Board (WDB) as it could not take any effective measure to meet the problem.
They were speaking at a view exchange meeting on 'Local People's View in Eradicating Waterlogging in the Southwestern Zone' organised by Nagorik Shanghati (NS) at the National Press Club in the city.
Environmentalist and hydrologist Dr Ainun Nishat said a long-term plan is needed to solve the waterlogging problem in the southwestern region of the country as it can't be solved overnight. “But short-term measures could be taken with the participation of the local people for some temporary relief.”
Engineer Enamul Haque said Farakka dam was one of the main reasons for the waterlogging while unplanned projects of the WDB aggravated the situation.
He spoke of three ways to solve the problem that include removal of abandoned sluice gates, demolition of narrow culverts and sand dams on the cannels to ensure water flow, bringing sweet water from the upstream to the waterlogged areas and cultivation of sweet-water fish after digging ponds in the area.
Engineer Sarder Amin presented the keynote paper at the meeting.
NS President Dr ASM Atiqur Rahman, former lawmaker Syed Didar Bakht and people of the area also spoke.
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