Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that her government has taken plans for better use of surface water and reducing its extraction from the underground.

“Another name of water is life, this is important to preserve this resource. We have taken plans to increase the use of surface water," she said while addressing a programme on World Water Day 2022.

The Water Resources Ministry organised the programme at Pani Bhaban at Green Road in the city while the PM joined virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

This year's theme is 'Groundwater, making the invisible visible'.

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The prime minister mentioned that two billion people in the world are lacking safe drinking water.

“If we can use this resource properly then there will be no suffering for people of our country. And we will be able to supply (safe) water to the world (market). We have to do our work keeping that in our mind,” she said.

She said that the government has already started supplying river water after purifying it. Even at the district level the government is supplying treated river water to save the underground water.

“We have taken various steps to limit the usage of underground water," she reiterated.

She mentioned that the government has given highest importance on dredging which will not only increase the navigability, but also improve the waterways.

“We will be able to transport our goods at lower cost," she observed.

She said that river beds have silted for lack of dredging for a long time. As a result, rivers have widened unnecessarily.

“We can reclaim land through dredging and reduce the width of a river. We have already reclaimed a good amount of land this way,” she said.

The PM said that earth generated from dredging must not be put on the arable land, this can be preserved by creating pockets on rivers.

She also asked to make sure that there will be no obstruction on water flow due to any development project.

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While constructing any building, she said, "We have to consider some preservation of rain water and having a water reservoir.

“We have to put special emphasis on preserving rainwater and use of that,” she said.

She mentioned that if the underground water is used excessively the probability of earthquake will increase in the country as Bangladesh situated on a plate under which there is a water level to make it stable.

Hasina said that unplanned and indiscriminate construction of dams have to be restricted.

“In the name of increasing the height of dam, I know, the amount of expenditure will be increased and some people will get commission. This kind of mentality has to be shunned. Plans have to be taken which will be beneficial for the country," she said

She also stressed on linking canals with rivers. She said that navigability will be hampered if the links of canals with rivers, Haor and Baors are destroyed.

She said that the water preservation capacity during the flood season has to be maintained. In this connection, she put emphasis on creating buffer zones during floods to use during winter season.

“We have to live with the flood. We have to learn the process to live with flood,” she said.

She urged all to maintain austerity in using pipe water and stop misuse of water for any purpose. “All have to remain alert in this regard,” she said.

The prime minister said that the government has started implementing Delta Plan-2100 aimed at faster economic growth, improved climate resilience and environmental protection.

She said the government has been attaching priority on implementing the UN-set SDG-6 targets by ensuring safe sanitation and pure drinking water to all by 2030.

The PM said that Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman established "Bangladesh Water Development Board” and "Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC)" in 1972 aimed at ensuring better water resources management.

The Awami League government formulated the National Water Policy, 1999, Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 and National Policy for Safe Water Supply and Sanitation-1998, she added.

 State Minister for Water Resources Zaheed Farooq, Deputy Minister AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem and senior secretary Kabir Bin Anwar also spoke.

An audio visual with music video and a documentary were screened at the programme.