Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, and to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, today emphasised the urgent need for an integrated action plan to protect Dhaka's rivers and canals.

"If we don't address the condition of Dhaka's canals and rivers, we cannot save the city," she said while addressing a program at Pani Bhaban this afternoon.

Rizwana stressed the importance of developing an immediate, mid-term, and three-year roadmap to protect the waterways of Dhaka.

She also called for a comprehensive assessment of each canal's current condition to guide the planning process.

She highlighted the need to prioritise the decontamination of Dhaka's major canals, noting that the current generation has never seen a clean canal in the city.

The adviser urged all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, Rajuk, and the city corporations, to collaborate on the effort to clear pollution and prevent encroachment.

She also underscored the importance of cost-effective implementation of projects aimed at cleaning and protecting the canals from further damage.