Dhaka can only be saved if its water bodies are saved first, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser for environment, forest and climate change.

"However much you discuss it and whatever you say, if Dhaka is to survive, its canals and water bodies must be saved. Nobody has any other option," she said.

She was speaking as chief guest at a city dialogue titled "Restoring Dhaka's water bodies: prospects and challenges" at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital on the afternoon of Saturday, 6 September. The dialogue was organised by the Urban Development Journalists' Forum.

"Wherever you look in Dhaka, you see waste everywhere, and it ends up in the canals and water bodies," the adviser said. "This state is 54 years old. The evidence of how much work has been done is in front of everyone. We have had a year and a half. We are working and trying as hard as we can. I do not think it is fair to set a year and a half of effort against 54 years."

She said work had begun to recover around 40 ponds in Dhaka. "The Dhaka deputy commissioner has been given the responsibility and has been allocated funds. He is working on it. Let us see how many ponds can be recovered. We will try again later."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.