Groundwater levels depleting 2/3 metres annually: JS told

The underground water levels in the city are falling by 2/3 metres every year, said Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Syed Ashraful Islam in the House on Thursday.
Replying to a question from Begum Nazma Akhter (Female seat- 13), he said 87 percent of the drinking water in the capital is being procured from the underground aquifers while the rest 13 percent from the surface sources.
“The underground waters are extracted from two aquifers at upper and deeper levels. The upper aquifer has two layers but the deeper aquifer has one layer,” the minister said.
He said the average thickness of the first layer of the upper aquifer is 68.82-meter, located between 49.63 meter and 118.45 meter depth from the surface.
Normal thickness of the second layer of the first aquifer is 32.22 meter and its location lies between 134.17 meter and 166.39 meter depth from the surface he said adding that the thickness of the deeper aquifer is 93 meter, situated between 192.47 meter and 285.47 meter from the surface.
Replying to questions from other lawmakers, Syed Ashraful said the government has a plan to supply deep and shallow tube wells to every upazila under the Rural Water Supply (Fifth phase) Project.
He informed the House that the government is actively considering to bring the service of 1,903 employees of ‘Palli Daridro Bimochan Karmasuchi’ (PDBK) of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) under the revenue sector.
“A proposal in this regard is now remaining under consideration of the Ministry of Establishment,” he said adding that the PDBK is a big national initiative with public funds for poverty alleviation.
So, he also said, the government is making its all-out efforts to bring soon the manpower of the project under the revenue sector as per rule.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on Thursday said Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) would take action against illegal rickshaws plying in the city.
“A total of 79,554 licensed rickhsaws are plying in the city while rest of the rickshaws are illegal,” the minister said replying to a question in the House raised by treasury bench lawmaker Shah Jikrul Ahmed.
The minister said there are nine organizations of rickhsaw pullers and owners and they are running many rickshaws without license in the city.
Drives against illegal rickhsaws are a continuous process jointly conducted by Dhaka Metropolitan police (DMP) and DCC, the minister added.
Referring to the concerned law, Syed Ashraf told the JS that action would be taken the against the illegal rickshaws under article 19 of Traffic Control and Public Vehicles By-laws of 1973.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarkar told the House on Thursday that the government has undertaken a massive programme to make the country’s youth community self-reliant.
Replying to a question raised by treasury bench member Apu Ukil, he said life-skill development training would be provided to 7.20 lakh unemployed young men and women in next three years under the networking project, approved recently.
“Youth activities will be geared up through internet connection and employment will be created for two years for the unemployed youths having HSC and equivalent degrees through a pilot project under the national service programme.
The project will initially be implemented in Kurigram and Barguna districts as per the election pledges of the present government,” Sarkar said adding that it would be gradually expanded throughout the country.
Besides, he said, a proposal has been made to provide skill development training to 57,60, 951 unemployed young men and women in the next three years under a mid-term budget structure.
“A proposal was also made to make self-reliant 34.20 lakh youths out of 57,60, 951 unemployed,” Sarkar said and expressed the hope that these programmes would contribute a lot in helping the unemployed youth be established in the country.

BSS, Dhaka