The government has finalised the draft Haor protection order under the Water Act 2013 and announced three water-critical areas across the country for the first time.聽
The draft 鈥榃ater Management Policy 2025鈥� to control water use in the industrial sector was also finalised at the 18th meeting of the executive committee of the National Water Resources Council.
The executive committee met on Sunday at the conference room of Water Building in Dhaka, said a press release on Monday.
Water resources and environment, forest and climate change adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan chaired the meeting while agriculture adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury was also present.
After detailed survey and investigation as per sections 17 and 19 of the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013, out of 215 unions under 25 upazilas of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts of the north-western hydrological region of Bangladesh, 47 unions have been identified as extremely high water crisis areas.
Similarly, out of 17 unions and 01 municipality of Patiya upazila of Chattogram, three unions and one municipality have been identified as very high water crisis areas.
Water use will be controlled in these areas as per the Water Act and a committee will finalise the steps to be taken within the next one month to ensure the supply of drinking water and water required for household purposes.
The meeting recommended conducting a necessary survey at Subarnachar in Noakhali to verify the quality of water. At the same time, it was decided to start the ongoing activities to verify the availability of groundwater in the remaining districts.
A decision was taken to issue the first-ever 鈥楬aor Environment Protection Order鈥� under Sections 22 and 27 of the Bangladesh Water Act, 2013, with the aim of conserving the biodiversity and ecosystem of two internationally important wetlands 鈥� Tanguar Haor and Hakaluki Haor.
The meeting highlighted the weak implementation of the Water Act, 2013 and the need for the act.
