State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said the Teesta Master Plan's pilot project will begin within a few days as a technical committee is already working on implementation with advice from international experts.
He made the remarks while visiting river erosion-affected areas of Chilmari, Ulipur, Roumari and Rajivpur upazilas in Kurigram on Saturday speaking to reporters at Chilmari port.
"Teesta is a major project. It cannot be implemented in a day. Our government is only five months old give us some time," he said, reaffirming that the pilot phase would launch soon.
On river erosion in Kurigram, the minister said he had inspected affected areas, including Chilmari Port and reviewed progress on two ongoing dam construction projects aimed at permanently controlling erosion. He said efforts are underway to expedite these projects.
"The government has taken necessary measures to ensure no homes, bazaars, mosques, temples or educational institutions are lost to the river" he said, adding that field visits with local lawmakers and administration officials are being conducted per the prime minister's directives to assess how quickly projects can move forward.
The minister stressed that erosion prevention efforts would be non-partisan, with the government standing by affected communities. He said emergency work is currently underway in around 100 erosion-hit areas in Kurigram with further instructions to follow where needed.
Following the Kurigram visit, the minister is scheduled to inspect two World Bank-funded projects in Gaibandha.
Also present were Kurigram-4 MP Mostafizar Rahman, Kurigram-3 MP Barrister Mahbub Salehi, reserved seat MP Suraiya Jerin Roni, Deputy Commissioner Annapurna Debnath and local BNP and administration officials.
