The government yesterday entrusted navy with the task of devising ways to prevent river pollutions and encroachments for subsequent actions while it planned to take immediately a “crush programme” to protect the Buriganga, Shitalakhya, Balu and Turag in particular.
“The navy has been asked to prepare a concept paper suggesting ways to prevent river pollution and encroachment . . . they will prepare the paper in next one month for subsequent actions,” a shipping ministry spokesman told BSS following an inter-ministerial meeting.
He said the meeting, chaired by shipping minister Shajahan Khan, decided to launch, meanwhile, a “crush programme” particularly to protect the four particular rivers flowing through and along the capital Dhaka.
“The crush programme will be carried out involving different ministries and departments while we (shipping ministry) will act as the lead ministry in coordinating the actions,” the spokesman added.
He said the meeting was informed that industrial wastes responsible for 60 percent pollution of the four rivers while chemicals emitted by tanneries lone accounted for 40 percent of the pollution. “No rawhide will be allowed to enter into the tannery factories at Hajaribagh after April 1 this year,” the spokesman quoted the minister as telling the meeting, referring to an earlier government decision to relocate the factories at an Industrial Park in suburban Savar in the quickest possible time.
Prime minister’s principal secretary Abul Kalam Azad, navy chief Vice Admiral Nijamuddin Ahmed, water resources secretary Dr Jafor Ahmed Khan and shipping secretary Ashok Madhob Ray, among others, joined the meeting.
