(BSS) - Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has said initiatives have been taken to get the Teesta Master Plan (TMP) project passed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon.

"Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has considered the TMP as a priority project around the Teesta River. So, the residents of Teesta riverine areas will have no more worries," he said.

Anee said this while exchanging views with the river erosion affected people along with Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad at Kawnia point adjacent to the Teesta Bridge in Rangpur on Friday afternoon.

Earlier today, he exchanged views with officials on technical aspects of the TMP at the `Obosor` Rest House of the Teesta Barrage Project in Dimla upazila of Nilphamari after visiting the Barrage, Teesta Irrigation Canal and Charalkata River in Nilphamari.

Addressing these occasions, the Water Resources Minister said that the TMP will be implemented as soon as possible with complete domestic financing and domestic and foreign technical assistance.

"We are moving quickly to implement the TMP, which is much awaited by the people of the northern region. Teesta is not just a sorrow of Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Rangpur; it is the sorrow of the whole of Bangladesh," he said.

The people of this region will benefit from the TMP project; the economy of the whole of Bangladesh will be strengthened and the national economy will be strong.

"Before the last 13th Parliamentary Election, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had promised the people of the Rangpur region that he would remove the sorrow of Teesta. He has already formed several committees to fulfill his promise," Anee said.

The necessary survey and technical preparation work for the TMP is underway on various aspects of dredging, water conservation and river management.

The Minister said that the government is working sincerely to find a permanent solution to the existing problems in the Teesta river basin.

Through the implementation of the TMP, arrangements will be made to prevent river erosion during the rainy season, control floods and conserve water during the dry season.

The conserved water will play an important role in improving the quality of life of the people of this region by using it in agriculture and fisheries.

The Water Resources Minister recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman launched the Teesta Barrage Project with the aim of revolutionizing agriculture in this region.

"Today, under the leadership of his worthy successor son, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the TMP will be implemented, Insha`Allah," he said.

The Minister said that the instructions of the Prime Minister are not limited to river management or prevention of erosion. Rather, the TMP project also includes a permanent system for how to retain sufficient water in the river during the dry season.

He said that the bank erosion of the Teesta is increasing due to the strong flow of water coming from the Gajoldoba Barrage upstream.

Again, the excessive flow is making it difficult for local people to live in many areas. Planned dredging and dam construction will be done to solve these problems. Considering the overall situation on the Teesta riverbanks, the TMP is now the need of the hour not only for the northern region but for the entire country.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said that people on the Teesta riverbanks should not listen to various controversies and controversial words being spread by some quarters about the TMP.

"Everyone should be careful, have patience and make our work successful. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has taken up the TMP very seriously. Of course, we will succeed," he said.

State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad said that a technical and practical review is underway with river and water management experts from different countries of the world to implement the TMP successfully.

Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Dr AKM Shahabuddin, Director General of Bangladesh Water Development Board Engineer Md Enayet Ullah, Deputy Commissioners and Superintendent of Police, Rangpur Zilla Parishad Administrator Md Saiful Islam, Chairman of Rangpur Development Authority Shamsuzzaman Samu, were present at the events.