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Draft Nat'l Urban Policy

Approval must to prevent unplanned urbanisation

Speakers tell seminar marking first World Cities Day

Staff Correspondent
Immediate government approval of the draft National Urban Sector Policy is a prerequisite to safeguarding the country from unplanned urbanisation, speakers told a seminaryesterday.
"Around 4.5 crore people live in urban areas, their contribution to the GDP (gross domestic product) measures 60 to 65 percent which can be raised to 70 to 75 percent through planned urbanisation," said urban planning expert Prof Nazrul Islam.
The main objectives of the policy, prepared in 2011, includes ensuring balanced urbanisation, economic development, employment generation, optimum use of land, environment protection, strengthen-
ing of local governments, an inclusive decision making process, need-based services, community development, preservation of historical and cultural heritage and reducing poverty.
The Municipal Association of Bangladesh organised the seminar in the capital's Cirdap auditorium in observance of the first World Cities Day 2014.
Themed "Better City, Better Life", the United Nations established the day aiming to promote the international community's interest in global urbanisation, push forward cooperation in meeting opportunities and challenges and contribute to sustainable urban development.
Addressing as chief guest, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain initially acknowledged that urbanisation in the country was ongoing in an unplanned way.
He, however, said National Housing Authority has already executed planned housing schemes in 45 upazilas and could continue doing so if they got usable land.
“Protecting farmland is a must and urbanisation will be carried out protecting arable land," he said.
National development will be expe-
dited if it is possible to execute the plans in every city, said Dr Golam Rahman, president of Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP).
There will be no development if the government fails to empower local governments, said former BIP president Prof Sarowar Jahan, adding that every sector would have to be decentralised, empowered and provided a budget accordingly.
Dhaka city is in a critical state due to the pollution of the rivers, canals and
other water bodies in and around it while other cities, though currently not at the same state, are slowly following suit, said Prof Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
He said 15 lakh cubic metres of the capital's sewage was going untreated right into the water bodies through storm sewers every day, over 80 percent area was not under any sewer network and the sole sewage treatment plant in Pagla was functioning at one third of its capacity.