‘We must show pollution-free canals, rivers to next generation’: Syeda Rizwana Hasan

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the adviser for environment, forest, and climate change, today (1 November) said this generation must ensure pollution-free canals and rivers for the next generation. 

“The current generation has not seen clean rivers or canals. You do not know what it is like when a river is clean, how useful it is for people,” she said as the chief guest at the Rampura-Jirani Canal cleaning campaign in Dhaka.

“The canal that you clean today should remain clean in the future. As future leaders, it is your responsibility to ensure this,” she added.

Rizwana, also the adviser for water resources, said, “Today’s concept of cleaning one canal or water body in each of the 64 districts across the country originated from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This is the strength of our youth.”

Mentioning that the canal cleaning campaign was attended by the Ministry of Water Resources, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Directorate of Youth Development, Dhaka South City Corporation, and others, the adviser said, “Those who claim there is no coordination within the government, we proved them wrong… We must unite in the nation’s interest.”

The adviser said, “The programme we have undertaken to clean 64 canals across 64 districts starts today and will continue until 15 November.”

“We will not just finish this task; we will establish a committee for each canal at the local level. The members of these committees will monitor and identify those trying to pollute the canals and take immediate action to prevent them,” she added.