Participants of a discussion demanded people’s participation for the
formulation of the water law and removal of loopholes in draft water
act-2013 to stop commercialisation of water resources on Saturday.The discussion styled as “The draft Bangladesh Water Act-2013 and
people’s right to water”, was organised by Water Right Forum in
association with Association for Land Reform and Development,
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association and Nagorik Udyog at
Abdul Khalek Auditorium of the city.
Advocate Manabendra Batobayal presided over the programme addressed by
Zahangir Kabir, NGO organizer working on water and sanitation sector,
Advocate Ismail Hossain Negaban, Abdul Hye Mahbub, pannel discussants,
Advocate Suvash Chandra Bipro Bedanti, Akkas Hossain, Zakir Hossain,
Shuvangkar Chakraborty, speakers.
There are many loopholes in the draft water act-2013, which may hamper
the rights of people on water. It should be finalized after taking
opinions and recommendations of all levels of people and organizations
concerned to remove its loopholes and incorporate necessary laws for
ensuring adequate quantity and quality water for all, Advocate M Iqbal
Kabir of BELA told while reading out the keynote paper on the topic.
Though the draft has a provision to identify areas facing water
crisis, there is nothing on how to recover from such crisis, he added.
We are appreciating the draft water act to give recognition of
availability of water as a fundamental right. But the draft provides
the Committee of Water Resources as the authority to formulate
guidelines to identify specific areas for different kinds of
economical activities related to water resources but no provision was
kept to take public opinion and accountability, the discussants said.
They suggested ensuring accountability at all times, presenting a
complete picture to the people, making people’s participation
compulsory while determining the right to water and considering
industrial and commercial institutions as consumers instead of users
are necessary for the coordinated management and development of water
resources.
The draft proposes to fill up one or more branches of a river in the
excuse of stopping river erosion or recovering rivers. But such
proposals are detrimental as there are no provisions for environmental
impact assessment, they added.
The speakers urging the government to include necessary clauses of law in the
draft act for making it an effective and time-befitting law observed
that many important issues related to river and water bodies are not
included in the draft act that should be incorporated in the act for
protecting ecological balance of the country.
(Our Correspondent)
