Rainwater harvester to enjoy 10% tax relief

The owners of the buildings equipped with rainwater harvesting system will get a 10 per cent holding tax rebate, Dhaka North City Mayor Atiqul Islam said on Saturday.

The city administrator asserted that modern septic tanks and soak wells should be installed in city homes and effective purification systems kept in place.

The assertion came at a seminar titled “50 years of achievement and future in water supply, sanitation and hygiene sector” at Sonargaon Hotel to mark the centenary of Bangabandhu’s birth and Bangladesh’s golden jubilee.

According to the city mayor, most city houses and even the buildings in posh areas do not have effective septic tanks and soak wells; the overall environment including water is being polluted due to untreated sewage water directly falling into drains or canals.

Attending the seminar as the chief guest, LGRD Minister Tazul Islam claimed that 98 per cent people in the country and 70 per cent slum dwellers have access to potable water -- an unprecedented success in the field of water supply, sanitation and hygiene.

The minister also said the government is working on a plan keeping in view the targets of SDG-2030 and 2041.

He urged the local public representatives to be alert and stand strong against those who would seek to destroy communal harmony.

“I am making a call to all public representatives in the city corporations, municipalities, union, upazila and district levels, and all other institutions – remain alert,” he told the seminar.

“We must stand united against communal forces. Bangladesh will not bow to them.”

He added that preliminary work has started on the National Water Grid Line to meet the future water demand of the country. There are also plans for a trans-boundary water grid line.

The canals have been handed over to the city corporations from the WASA to make Dhaka a modern, attractive and livable city, Tazul observed, saying that numerous canals have already been rescued from the hands of the occupiers.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was present as a special guest at the event which was presided over by senior Secretary to Local Government Department Helal Uddin Ahmed.