Poor allocation in budget for coastal people deplored

Despite cyclone Amphan's destruction, the government hardly allocated any money in the budget for embankments to save coastal people and their crops to promote coastal economy.
Speakers made this comment at a virtual seminar titled 'National Budget 2020-2021, Embankment and Protection of Coastal Population' organized by COAST Trust and Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL) on Saturday.
Dr Qazi Kholliquzzaman, Chairman of Palli Karma Sohayak Foundation (PKSF) chaired the seminar and lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury and the Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change was the Chief Guest.
Aktheruzzaman Babu, MP, of Khulna was the Special Guest at the seminar moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of the COAST.
Six union parishad chairmen from Sathkira, Khulna, Golachipa, Charfashion and Kutubdia upazila also spoke online at the seminar.
Other prominent speakers are  Ziaul Haque Mukta of CSRL, Shameem Arefin of AOSED,  Shamsuddoha of CPRD, Mr Rafiqul Islam of DUS, Dr Mahbuba Nasreen, Dean of Dhaka University.  
Arif Dewan of the COAST in his keynote presentation said despite the destruction caused by cyclone Amphan the government hardly allocated any money in the budget for embankment to save coastal people and their crops to promote coastal economy.
This will increase further poverty in the coastal belt, he said in his presentation. Lawmaker Akhteruzzaman Babu said due to lack of appropriate design and construction Khulna and Satkhira areas are fully unprotected now. Emergency embankments should be built in those areas.
Lawmaker Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, "We must go for a long-term plan for a sustainable management of embankments."
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said the government need to follow the Sri Lankan model i.e, coastal afforestation on either side of embankments.
Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman advised the government to give priority to coastal embankment construction led by local government.