In the midst of this global pandemic, when the entire country is struggling to contain the spread of the virus, positive and forward-thinking initiatives become that much more difficult, but more necessary than ever before.
To that end, the recent approval given by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to a master plan to rescue the rivers and canals in and around the capital city of Dhaka is extremely heartening and has been a long time coming.
The plan intends to revive and rescue these rivers and canals by allowing their natural, uninterrupted flow, which should greatly aid to also introduce a functional navigation system for the future -- another ambitious and forward-thinking idea that will certainly benefit the people.
This, together with planting more trees along the river banks and making a green belt along the rivers, should also help with the city’s air quality and give the environment a much-needed boost.
It is also rather encouraging to see the concerted effort that appears to be in the making for this plan -- the local government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives Ministry, the Shipping Ministry, Water Resources Ministry, the Environment Ministry, and the concerned city corporations are set to coordinate to initiate the master plan.
What is needed now, however, is to set this plan into motion. There is no use for a plan, no matter how brilliant it may be, if it is not implemented and executed in an efficient manner.
This newspaper has editorialized on many occasions in the past on the need to save our rivers, the lifeblood of so many in Bangladesh. It has been extremely disappointing to see the degradation of our rivers over the years.
However, this plan could set the ball rolling and provide hope that, with the right intent and effort, it is yet possible to reverse this negative trajectory of our rivers and water bodies.
