RAJSHAHI, May 11: The Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) has started implementation of its new Disaster Risk Sensitive and People-Friendly Urban Development Master Plan.
This information was confirmed by Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) in a press release on Saturday.
The 20-year plan spanning from 2022 to 2041 has been aimed at making Rajshahi a more planned, sustainable, clean, safe, education-friendly, tourism-oriented, industrial-business friendly, and smart city. City dwellers' opinions have been taken into account to ensure successful implementation of the master plan.
The government's Vision 41 and Delta Plan 2100 have been incorporated into the plan.
RCC Mayor A. H. M. Khairuzzaman Liton said, the previous Master Plan-2004 was not sufficient to meet the current needs of the city; a consulting team of domestic and foreign experts, including digital survey, BUET, RUET, RU, WASA, Fire Service, Department of Environment, RCC Engineers, all councillors, and other stakeholders' opinions, was formed to prepare the new Master Plan.
Although it is not possible to fully implement the new Master Plan in the old city, efforts are underway to make it a green, healthy, educational, and industrial city. New residential and commercial areas are being built around the city or will be built in the future.
Wide internal roads and footpaths, playgrounds, Eidgahs, lakes or reservoirs will also be built in these areas, the press release added.
Measures are being taken to ensure that all electrical lines, gas lines, water lines, and all net lines are connected underground.
The mayor further said, the solid waste management in Rajshahi is better than in other cities of the country. Eco-friendly and profitable projects of waste segregation, recycling, and no damage to agricultural land have been undertaken, and these will be implemented soon.
Rajshahi Fire Service is also being upgraded to a modern and quality control system to sustain any disaster, and the RCC area will also be expanded to make it equal to the area of RDA or RMP after the next city elections, he added.
If RCC and RDA work together, all development works will be faster and better, and then Rajshahi City will be known separately to the world, the mayor maintained.
RDA's Chairman Ziaul Haque said, after the Master Plan published in the form of gazette, the work has started accordingly; many city residents are happy; some are complaining about not being zoned residential; such issues are being recorded so that they can be looked into when there is an opportunity to revise the Master Plan.
The project of building a large market of modern quality with two new residential areas has been undertaken.
RCC Chief Executive Officer Dr. ABM Sharif Uddin said, although ancient Rajshahi City on the banks of the Padma River, it can be called a 'Flood-free city'. There is a risk of earthquakes, and the effects of climate change are significant, he added.
The new master plan is theoretically very good, and to implement this, there needs to be administrative and political stability and continuity, he maintained.
