Govt reviewing existing water-sharing agreements: Anee

Relying to a scripted question from treasury bench lawmaker Md Abul Kalam (Cumilla-9), he said the government is working to strengthen the Joint Rivers Commission, Bangladesh to sign new agreements, and adopt integrated water resource management in coordination with basin countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan and China.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad tabled the question-and-answer session at the outset of the day’s sitting.

Anee said the government remains committed to realising Bangladesh's fair share of water from transboundary rivers and has incorporated the issue in its election manifesto with utmost importance.

He said it is not untrue that water flow to Bangladesh declines during the dry season due to infrastructure development on transboundary rivers in the upstream areas.

“Besides, the availability of water upstream is also declining because of natural factors and the impacts of climate change,” the minister added.

Replying to another question from Abul Kalam, he said the Ministry of Water Resources, under the government's 180-day action programme, will excavate or re-excavate 366 kilometres of canals by June through ongoing projects, reports UNB.

In response to a question from ruling party lawmaker Md Fazley Houda (Naogaon-3), Anee said the government has adopted a five-year plan to excavate and re-excavate 9,046 kilometres of canals under a countrywide programme.