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Green beckoning

River recovery, checking pollution, afforestation top priorities

Pinaki Roy
The government plans big to improve the country's overall environment emphasising retrieving the degraded river system, checking pollution, promoting renewable energy and proper use of water along with taking up massive afforestation programmes.
In the proposed budget for 2009-10 fiscal year, Finance Minister AMA Muhith spells out differen t environment-friendly initiatives to be implemented by different ministries.
A special initiative will shortly be taken to save the Buriganga river from pollution, the minister said.
Expressing firm stance against river pollution, the minister said the government will provide soft loans to the polluters, if necessary, for taking measures to properly dispose of toxic industrial and clinical waste.
"But they have to complete the tasks within the stipulated time. No new industries will be allowed to be set without putting in place an appropriate waste disposal system," he said.
However, the main focus of the government's activities would be to carry out regular dredging of the rivers and canals, strengthening the embankments along the coastal areas and establishing adequate number of cyclone shelters.
Reducing air pollution caused by diesel-run vehicles, controlling environment pollution due to industrialisation. extending and preserving forestry and developing sufficient environmental experts are also on the agenda of the government.
The minister said the government is also framing the water use act' and bringing necessary amendments to the Water Resource Planning Act, 1992 to ensure the optimum and sustainable use of water resources.
The government is also planning to bring 20 percent of total land under afforestation programmes by 2015 to attain self-sufficiency in forest resources.
Primarily, the government has set a target to bring 4,314 hectares of land under the afforestation programme, create strip gardens over an area of 2,355 kilometres and plan 23 lakh saplings.
The minister also said about a development programme for maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity in the Sudarbans at a cost of Tk 650 crore.
In his budget speech, Muhith also committed to prepare a detailed action plan designed to face the disasters due to climate change.
The government has also allocated Tk 400 crore from its own resources to add to an existing Tk 300 fund. Disbursement of money from this fund will st an next fiscal year to take different programmes for battling the impacts of climate change as the cabinet approved it in principle.
Disasters and calamities due to climate change cannot be reversed.
Therefore, we should aim to mitigate dislocation and sufferings and build the capacity to adapt lives and livelihoods,”
the minister said.
He also talked about formation of a multi-donor trust fund" with support from donors. The proposed fund has received a commitment of $97 9 million from the UK and Denmark.
Besides, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has proposed to provide Tk 490 crore as budgetary support during the next three years to cope with environment related disasters The JICA will also cancel a debt of Tk 700 crore from its Debt Cancellation Fund (JDCF).
We are encouraging production of renewable energy by providing various financial incentives through both public and private channels. Besides, we have also taken initiatives to conduct a feasibility study for setting up small hydroelectricity’ projects.
"The use of solar and biogas as sources of energy has so far been tried mainly in the rural areas. We are taking initiatives to use this technology in population concentration areas in the cities as well."
He said the government is encouraging production of renewable energy including solar power, biogas and small hydro power.
"We are actively considering the issue of importing environment friendly energy technology in the context of current level of environmental degradation.
"We would like to take an integrated approach to tackle the problems arising from increasing traffic jam. deteriorating water supply and drainage system and environmental pollution '
However, the minister was found positive towards the use of pesticide as he withdrew VAI from the product's raw materials.
’I propose to withdraw VAT on the import of raw materials to produce pesticides to keep pesticides easily available for farmers.”