RAJSHAHI, Nov 1, 2024 (BSS) - Canal cleanliness campaign was launched in the city today aimed at removing stagnant water and preventing dengue prevalence in the city.

To mark the National Youth Day-2024, divisional and district administrations and the department of youth development opened the campaign at Baya Bazar area in collaboration with Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).

Divisional Commissioner Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir, Additional Commissioner Tarafder Akhter Jameel, BWDB Additional Chief Engineer Mukhlesur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner-in-Charge Sarker Asim Kumar and Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Development ATM Golam Mahbub addressed the opening ceremony.

In his remarks, Divisional Commissioner Humayun Kabir said water from the canals and beels will create positive impacts on agriculture and biodiversity in the region, particularly in its vast Barind tract.

Under the campaign, 11-kilometer area of Gangpara canal will be cleaned and subsequently Duary and Zia canals will also be brought under the campaign in phases aimed at freeing those from unauthorized occupation.

With this breakthrough, eighty percent of the canals in Rajshahi city areas could be freed from illegal occupation and pollution.

Humayun Kabir urged the public in general not to dump garbage and wastages in the canals anymore to keep the canal clean.  

Later, they also held a discussion meeting on the National Youth Day-2024 at Paba Upazila Parishad hall room when they termed the skilled youth forces as the driving force for ensuring sustainable development in the country.
 
Taking part in the discussion, they said that utmost emphasis should be given on transforming them into skilled human resources. All the government and non-government agencies concerned should come forward and work together to attain the cherished goal.

Commissioner Humayun Kabir stressed the need for building the youths as skilled workforce through imparting them with different vocational trainings.
 
He said that many youths become derailed due to lack of proper care and nursing and ultimately they became a burden to society.
 
He urged the youths to extend their whole-hearted cooperation to the law enforcement agencies to protect the young generation from drug abuse.