A study is being conducted to prepare an action plan to control the pollution of rivers around capital Dhaka, State Minister for Rural Development and Cooperatives Mashiur Rahman Ranga told Parliament yesterday, reports UNB.

"The study titled 'Preparation of Action Plan for Control of Pollution of Peripheral Rivers of Dhaka City' is being carried out through Institute of Water Modeling (IWM)," he said replying to a starred question from Awami League MP Nazrul Islam Babu (Narayanganj-2).

Ranga on behalf of LGRD and Cooperative Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain was replying to different questions from MPs in the House. The state minister said Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has already prepared a sewerage master plan to keep the rivers surrounding Dhaka city free from pollution. As per the master plan, the construction of Dasherkandi Sewerage Treatment Plant is now underway, he said. In reply to an unstarred question from AL MP Didarul Alam (Chittagong-4), LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said now 12 percent of the country's people are facing the risk of getting exposed to arsenic contamination even after different programmes were implemented by the government.

He said the present government is determined to ensure arsenic-free safe water for all. Responding to a starred question from the same MP, the minister said a project involving Tk 1990.95 crore is awaiting approval of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) for reducing the risk of arsenic contamination in water supply.