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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has instructed the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to ensure environmental protection, prevent water pollution, and implement integrated waste management for the Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara lakes in the capital.
He issued these directives at a meeting held on Monday (July 6) at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Bangladesh Secretariat. The meeting was organized to review the overall activities for verifying the sewage connection systems of various buildings in the Gulshan-Banani-Baridhara-Niketan areas and for making the lakes pollution-free.
According to Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of taking coordinated initiatives among the concerned ministries, city corporations, and responsible agencies for waste removal from the lakes, controlling water pollution, and preserving the environment.
During the meeting, officials concerned informed the Prime Minister that short, medium, and long-term plans have been adopted to free the lakes from pollution. As part of these plans, initiatives are being taken to identify buildings whose sewage directly flows into the lakes and to implement effective measures to stop this.
The meeting also prominently discussed the establishment of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for the protection of the lake’s environment. Additionally, there was an exchange of views on taking necessary steps to regularly clean the lakes and their interconnected canals, remove accumulated waste, and ensure normal water flow.
Furthermore, Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu stated that the meeting also discussed what kind of action plan could be adopted to prevent waste from the Korail slum from directly entering the lakes.
The meeting was attended by Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher Sumon, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmed Sohel Monjur, Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation Abdus Salam, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation Shafiqul Islam Milton, Chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Riyajul Islam, along with secretaries and senior officials from relevant ministries and agencies.