Md Tazul Islam, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister on Sunday said that 13 low height bridges will be rebuilt after demolition to keep the water vessels' movement normal on the rivers around the capital.

The minister came up with the remarks after a meeting over a masterplan on City Rivers at the ministry.

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“We spotted 13 low height bridges above the rivers around the city. There is no alternative to increasing the height of these bridges to keep the water vessels' movement normal,” he said.     

Among these 13 bridges, six are of LGED, six others of Bridges Division and one of Railways Ministry, the minister said.

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Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) will be built identifying the industrial factories located on the river bank to keep the rivers around Dhaka city free from pollution, he said.

Already ETP has been established at 1,400 industrial factories and drives are underway to spot other factories which are yet to get the ETP, Islam said.

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Water Resources Ministry, Shipping Ministry and two city corporations are jointly removing illegal encroachments from the rivers and canals around the capital, he added.