Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed relevant government agencies to execute coordinated measures to control environmental pollution and restore the water quality across major urban lakes in the capital, including Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Niketan, and Dhanmondi.

Presiding over a high-level review meeting at the Cabinet Division room in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday (September 17), the Prime Minister highlighted the necessity of blocking direct sewage inflows, conducting regular waste clearance, installing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and expediting agency operations.

The meeting reviewed structural development plans and current pollution levels, while also assessing the progress of sludge removal and pilot renovation projects undertaken by the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) at Dhanmondi Lake.

Key Technical Recommendations and Directives

A technical committee presented short-term, mid-term, and long-term recommendations after identifying six primary and six secondary discharge points currently channeling untreated sewage into Gulshan Lake:

• Expanding Cleanliness Infrastructure: The Prime Minister instructed authorities to increase the number of mechanical trash-skimming boats from two to ten for floating waste removal, while deploying amphibious excavators to dredge accumulated bottom sludge.

• STP Compliance: Emphasized enforcement of the Dhaka Metropolitan Building Rules 2025, mandating targeted commercial and residential structures to install STPs within specified timelines.

• Dismantling Illegal Connections: Directed Dhaka WASA and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to conduct joint surveys identifying and severing unauthorized sewage connections linked directly to stormwater drains or lake waters.

• Water Quality Restoration: Approved proposals to install aeration systems to raise dissolved oxygen levels, implement combined biological-chemical odor treatments, and establish long-term municipal sanitation networks.

• Dedicated Maintenance Teams: Noted that RAJUK has deployed five dedicated teams comprising 42 personnel for the regular preservation and maintenance of lakes under its jurisdiction.

The meeting was attended by Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, DSCC Administrator Md. Abdus Salam, DNCC Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan, and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister A B M Abdus Sattar, alongside other senior officials.