Online Desk  :  The government is planning to create a blue network using Dhaka’s canals, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on Saturday. The network will be established through the canals that can still be recovered, Rizwana, also adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, said this while addressing a workshop at the Forest Department headquarters in the capital. The event titled “Spatial and Temporal Changes in Dhaka City’s Urban Ecosystem, Landscape and Biodiversity over the past 100 years and formulation of strategic action plan” was organised by CEGIS. The advisor emphasised that RAJUK should conduct weekly operations to reclaim illegally occupied canals. She also mentioned that no wrongdoing should be legalised, and operations should be intensified if necessary. Additionally, she highlighted the need to plant grass in Dhaka’s open spaces, involving people from different communities to this effort.

Rizwana further emphasised that urban planning for Dhaka must prioritise greening, biodiversity conservation, and wetland preservation. She called for environmentally compatible urban development plans and stressed the need for coordinated efforts among all departments to protect and expand green and wetland areas. Dr. Farhina Ahmed, secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Md. Mahmudul Hasan, administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation, Maj Gen (retd) Md. Siddiqur Rahman Sarkar, chairman of RAJUK, and Md Amir Hosain Chowdhury, chief Conservator of Forests, Bangladesh Forest Department, also spoke at the workshop. The open discussion saw participation from representatives of various government and non-government organisations, researchers, and environmental activists. The workshop concluded with a call for collective efforts to protect Dhaka’s environment and biodiversity.