Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tajul Islam said the government was fully prepared to reduce water logging in Dhaka and Chittagong and prevent dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The minister also said that the government has the capacity to deal with any disaster.
He was speaking at the 3rd inter-ministerial meeting on prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases in Dhaka and Chittagong metropolitan areas.
The minister said Dhaka and Chittagong are the two most important cities in the country. Therefore, special attention is paid to solve the problems of these two metropolises. The canals under Chittagong and Dhaka City Corporation have been dug / re-excavated to alleviate waterlogging. Many canals that were occupied have been cleared by the mayors of the city corporations as per the instructions of the ministry and made suitable for water movement. The city dwellers have started getting the benefits. Waterlogging is now much less than before. In this connection, the minister said, besides the canals obtained from Dhaka WASA, two city corporations have also vacated many canals. Many large buildings, markets, bus-truck stands have been evicted. Dhaka South City Corporation has recovered six and a half acres and Dhaka North City Corporation about twenty five acres of land. Illegal occupation operations are still ongoing.
He added that the project has already been passed at a cost of over Tk 4,000 crore for the development of waterlogging and infrastructure in the new wards and low-lying areas of North City Corporation and work is underway. South City Corporation is also taking up new projects. I hope the problem will be solved soon.
In response to a question from journalists about dengue. Tajul Islam said that action has been taken on dengue since the beginning of the year. This time too it has been done. All our preparations have been made by both the mayors. They have all the pesticides, medicines, equipment and manpower they need.
Highlighting the current number of dengue cases worldwide, the minister said there are 11,064 people in Singapore, 13,751 in Malaysia, 22,331 in Indonesia, 1,564 in Thailand, 36,938 in the Philippines and 6,026 in India. And 630 people in our country. An overall review shows that we are in a much better position than these countries. However, this does not mean that we will sit still. We are all ready. Campaigns are being run in the media to make people aware.
Sylhet-Sunamganj said about the terrible flood. Tajul Islam said the floods would be so severe that no agency could predict it. As per the directions of the Prime Minister, food, clean water and water purification tablets and other emergency services are being provided to the people in the flood-hit areas.
Corporation Mayor Md. Atiqul Islam, South City Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Chittagong City Mayor Md. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Chief Coordinator of SDG Affairs of PM's Office Juena Aziz, Local Government Secretary Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury, Housing and Public Works Secretary Shahid Was present.
Besides, senior officials of local government department, managing director of Dhaka and Chittagong WASA, senior officials of Dhaka Two City and Chittagong City Corporation and officials of concerned ministry departments and agencies participated.
