Environment Ministry announces 100-day programme for 'healthy environment, smart Bangladesh'

The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry on Thursday announced its 100-day work plan aiming to build a 'healthy environment, smart Bangladesh'.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury announced the 100-day programme at a press conference at the secretariat.

Additional Secretary (Admin) Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary (Development) Dr Fahmida Khanam and Director General of the Department of Environment Dr Abdul Hamid were, among others, were present at the news conference.

The minister said the 100-day programme of his ministry that began today will conclude on June 30 as part of  a strategic work plan.

"We want to reach our people and listen to the problems they have. We want to start it. We want to present our priority issues before them (people) through this programme," he said.

As per the 100-day programme, the ministry will approve a revised roadmap on 100 percent use of blocks in public construction projects aiming to check air pollution and save arable land. A minimum of one initiative will be taken against every source of air pollution and drives will be carried out against at least 500 illegal brick kilns. Steps will be taken to update the Sound Pollution (control) Rules 2006.

The government will take the initiative to formulate the National Waste Management Plan while the list of single-use plastic will be prepared and works on its baseline information collection will begin with a view to protecting the environment, ecosystem and biodiversity from plastic pollution.

Measures will be taken to introduce an online monitoring system at effluent treatment plants (ETPs) of industries and to declare the Bangladesh Secretariat as a single-use plastic-free zone. Notification will be issued to take such measures at other government offices.

Two single-use plastic-free school campuses will be established in every division and initiatives will be taken to build two zero-waste villages in each division to check environmental pollution.

The ministry will take initiatives to prepare a work plan to include environmental issues in the curriculum at school and college levels and to map hills and waterbodies across the country.

In addition, measures will be taken to recover forest land and re-fix the penalty rate against environment polluters.

The ministry will also take measures to finalise the Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership to deal with the adverse impacts of climate change effectively and collectively.