The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is expected to issue an official gazette notification soon to formalise the decision
A Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans. Representational Photo: Collected
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A Royal Bengal Tiger in the Sundarbans. Representational Photo: Collected
The government has decided to ban the establishment of new industrial projects within a 10-kilometre radius of the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is expected to issue an official gazette notification soon to formalise the decision.
The move was approved at the 16th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Environment and Climate Change Committee today (21 April) at the Secretariat.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources, chaired the meeting.
The committee revised previous decisions taken under section 3.4.4 of the 2017 National Environment Committee and the 2021 Executive Committee to enhance environmental protection in the region.
A neutral team of experts will be appointed to assess the environmental impact of existing industrial units located within the 10km ECA.
Based on their findings and subject to court directives, further action will be taken regarding these establishments.
The committee also approved several additional decisions. These include amendments to the Climate Change Trust Rules to allow joint project proposals by government agencies, private organisations, and NGOs.
To tackle noise pollution, feedback will be collected from all ministries to develop a national action plan.
Proposals will be submitted to increase the enforcement budget of the Ministry of Environment and introduce or enhance risk allowances for Forest Department personnel.
Another decision requires at least 30% block use in all public and private building construction by 2025. A coordination meeting at the secretary level will be held in May to discuss implementation.
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Faruk E Azam and Ministry of Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury attended the meeting.
Other committee members present included Md Ehsanul Haque, senior secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division; Farhina Ahmed, secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Farzana Mamataj, secretary, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; Mahbubur Rahman, secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Md Rezaul Maksud Jahedi, secretary, Local Government Division; and Md Nazrul Islam, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Public Works.
The meeting’s agenda and updates on previous decisions were presented through a presentation by Fahmida Khanom, additional secretary (environment) and member secretary of the committee.