The work plan, approved at the meeting with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in the chair, will be implemented in three phases first phase (five years), second phase (five years) and the third and long-term phase (15 years).

Divided into eight major groups based on the country's hydrological regions, the national water management plan has 84 programmes.

The plan, finalised after holding 232 meetings of the council at different levels, will be reviewed after every five years and has provision of amendments, if necessary.

As per the plan, issues of arsenic mitigation, river administration, dredging and fisheries resources will also be looked into with due importance.

Cost recovery, cost sharing, development of institution and protecting the environment have been given importance while drawing the 25-year national water management programme.