Govt to stop rawhide entry in Hazaribagh from April 1
The government yesterday decided that no rawhide will be allowed to enter Hazaribagh from April 1. The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat to protect the Buriganga, Shitlakhya, Balu and Turag rivers from pollution. Shipping minister Shajahan Khan chaired the meeting.
Principal secretary of the PMO, Abul Kalam Azad, Vice-Admiral Nizamuddin Ahmed, water resources ministry secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan and shipping ministry secretary Ashok Madhab Roy also attended the meeting.
Industrial effluents are mainly responsible for river pollution, contributing to 60 per cent of the pollution. Of them, 40 per cent wastes come from tannery, Shajahan Khan told reporters after the meeting.
Tannery owners must relocate their factories to Savar tannery village by March 31, the minister said, adding, We wont allow any rawhide to enter Hazaribagh from April 1.
A crash programme will be taken to protect the Buriganga, Shitlakhya, Balu and Turag rivers from pollution. The shipping ministry will play the leading role in this regard. The ministries and departments concerned will work together to achieve this goal, Shajahan Khan said.
He also said that the meeting decided to strengthen law enforcement and create awareness against encroachment and pollution of rivers. The Bangladesh Navy will prepare a concept paper on encroachment of rivers and pollution within a month. The next course of action will be taken on the basis of it, he added.
