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Save environment to save Bangladesh'
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 15 May 2014 15:05 BdST Updated: 15 May 2014 15:05 BdST
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized on environment protection to save Bangladesh.
Addressing officials at the Environment and Forest Ministry on Thursday, Hasina stressed on the need to fight climate change , desilt rivers and reclaim land from the sea.
"Many say Bangladesh will lose a lot of land to rising sea levels. To avert that, we need to boost the hydrological flow in the rivers," she said.
She said much land can be reclaimed from the sea and protected by planting trees in them. "New islands were surfacing. We may get another Bangladesh."
Hasina pulled up officials over rampant loss of water bodies which were being filled up. She was also visibly dissatisfied with construction of box culverts.
"Box culverts have been constructed indiscriminately over water bodies. It would be a much better idea to construct roads alongside the water bodies from Segun Bagicha to Motijheel and Panthapath rather than constructing box culverts over them."
The Prime Minister insisted on stopping the filling up of ponds to construct buildings.
She criticised the construction of a building of the Public Health department over a filled-up pond. "Look how conscious the Public Health department is! They construct a building by filling up a pond."
Hasina recalled how Motijheel and Segun Bagicha sprang up on what were once huge water bodies." This started since the time of Ayub Khan."
She stressed on appropriate waste disposal and drainage strategies.
"If one works to a proper plan, there is no problem. Trouble is we have hardly worked to a plan. We needed to work to a Master Plan."
Hasina said the pollution on the Ganges must be controlled and stressed on coordinated effort by all concerned departments.
"I am in tears at the sight of the Buri Ganga," she said, stressing on proper drainage and river management including construction of embankments.
She said it was worth spending on keeping the rivers clean and free of pollution because it would 'pay in the long run'.
On forest management, Hasina said highest priority should be given to finding out what trees we needed most.
Sounding very critical of the decision on large scale plantation of eucalyptus trees in northern Bangladesh, she said: "These trees suck away the nutrients in the soil, so they damage other vegetation. I can't understand why this decision was taken."
Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 15 May 2014 15:05 BdST Updated: 15 May 2014 15:05 BdST
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has emphasized on environment protection to save Bangladesh.
Addressing officials at the Environment and Forest Ministry on Thursday, Hasina stressed on the need to fight climate change , desilt rivers and reclaim land from the sea.
"Many say Bangladesh will lose a lot of land to rising sea levels. To avert that, we need to boost the hydrological flow in the rivers," she said.
She said much land can be reclaimed from the sea and protected by planting trees in them. "New islands were surfacing. We may get another Bangladesh."
Hasina pulled up officials over rampant loss of water bodies which were being filled up. She was also visibly dissatisfied with construction of box culverts.
"Box culverts have been constructed indiscriminately over water bodies. It would be a much better idea to construct roads alongside the water bodies from Segun Bagicha to Motijheel and Panthapath rather than constructing box culverts over them."
The Prime Minister insisted on stopping the filling up of ponds to construct buildings.
She criticised the construction of a building of the Public Health department over a filled-up pond. "Look how conscious the Public Health department is! They construct a building by filling up a pond."
Hasina recalled how Motijheel and Segun Bagicha sprang up on what were once huge water bodies." This started since the time of Ayub Khan."
She stressed on appropriate waste disposal and drainage strategies.
"If one works to a proper plan, there is no problem. Trouble is we have hardly worked to a plan. We needed to work to a Master Plan."
Hasina said the pollution on the Ganges must be controlled and stressed on coordinated effort by all concerned departments.
"I am in tears at the sight of the Buri Ganga," she said, stressing on proper drainage and river management including construction of embankments.
She said it was worth spending on keeping the rivers clean and free of pollution because it would 'pay in the long run'.
On forest management, Hasina said highest priority should be given to finding out what trees we needed most.
Sounding very critical of the decision on large scale plantation of eucalyptus trees in northern Bangladesh, she said: "These trees suck away the nutrients in the soil, so they damage other vegetation. I can't understand why this decision was taken."
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