Noting that Dhaka won’t be saved without protecting its rivers and canals Water Resources and Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Wednesday said integrated action plan will be taken to save canals of Dhaka.

"The actual picture of each canal in Dhaka needs to be identified. To protect Dhaka's rivers and canals, we must prepare an immediate, mid-term, and three-year roadmap and an integrated action plan," she said while presiding over a seminar titled “Blue Network Around Dhaka City” at a city hotel.

The adviser emphasised freeing several important canals in Dhaka from pollution initially.

She said the current generation of Dhaka has not seen any clean canals and  emphasised the importance of involving all concerned, including the Ministry of Local Government, RAJUK, the City Corporation, in swiftly adopting programmes to free Dhaka's canals and rivers from pollution and encroachment.

Additionally, she urged those involved in the project to free Dhaka’s canals from pollution and encroachment to be cost-effective in its implementation.

Read: Excavation of 15 canals can solve 80% of waterlogging in Dhaka: Study

Adviser A.F. Hasan Ariff of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives, and Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan of the Ministry of Industry, Housing, and Public Works delivered speeches as distinguished guests.

At the beginning of the event, Chief Engineer of the Central Region of the Water Development Board, Md. Asaduzzaman, presented a PowerPoint on the current state of the rivers and canals around Dhaka, water drainage of Dhaka's canals, and the “Blue Network Around Dhaka City”.

Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Nazmul Ahsan and Director General of the Water Development Board Amirul Haque also spoke at the event.

Officials from various levels of the Ministry and the Water Development Board were present at the time, among others.

Read more: Govt unveils blue network plan for revival of Dhaka’s canals