The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has been repairing embankments at the Aila affected areas and it should be completed within dry season between January and February next year.

This was observed at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the conference room of the Food and Disaster Management Ministry to review progress of rehabilitation at the Aila affected area.

Food and Disaster Management Secretary Muklesur Rahman chaired the meeting. Among others, Agriculture Secretary CQK Mustak Ahmed, Additional Secretary of Food and Disaster Management Ministry Ahmed Hossain, Joint Secretary Md Abdul Wajed, senior officials of concerned ministries attended at the meeting.

Besides, director generals of BWDB, Disaster Management Department, and Livestock Department, directors of Health Department, Local Government and Rural Development, additional directors of Agriculture Extension Department, project director of LGED, among others, were present.

The meeting reviewed the progress of the inter-ministerial meeting held on May 31 this year and instructed concerned to speed up repairing and rehabilitation works at the area, meeting sources said.

The meeting observed that despite some progress in repairing the embankments, many of them could not be repaired fully due to water. Remaining repairing of the embankment would be completed during the dry season, concerned officials informed at the meeting.

Food and Disaster Management Ministry earlier allocated 25,000 tons of rice for repairing the damaged embankments in the region, the source mentioned.

It was not possible to desalinize the ponds at the Aila affected area, the sources said adding that concerned officials have been instructed to pump out water from those ponds before the rainy season so that fresh rain water could be collected at the ponds.

Besides, they have been asked to set up more tube wells at the area to meet demand of drinking water, the meeting sources said.

The Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) repaired many cyclone shelters at the Aila affected areas, and has prepared designs for new shelter centers for constructing at the area, the meeting observed.

Besides, concerned have been instructed to build mud forts at the coastal belt so that livestock could be protected during any natural calamity like cyclone, the meeting source said.

It was reviewed at the meeting that partial allocation of funds were made against each of the repairing and rehabilitation works and progress were achieved by utilizing the allocated funds but further allocation of funds would accelerate these works.

The participants at the meeting felt that the rehabilitation works should be completed before March next year so that the losses and damages could be lowered if any natural calamity like cyclone takes place during March-April period.