Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked all concerned to implement development projects carefully without disturbing the natural balance. She gave the directives while chairing a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) held in city on Tuesday. They have also been asked to implement the development schemes in a speedy manner avoiding unnecessary revision.
The authorities concerned should follow the prime minister’s directive strictly. Our arable lands, wetlands, rivers, forests and other natural resources have been disappearing from the map of country since long, ruining the natural ecological balance. By filling croplands, residential dwellings, roads, various infrastructures like high rise buildings, factories, industries, hotels, resorts and other business establishments are being built indiscriminately across the country.
Approximately 80,000 hectares of arable land disappears from the country every year. Besides, brick kilns are also destroying the arable lands in many ways alongside polluting the environment.
The authorities concerned
should follow the prime
minister’s directive strictly
According to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, the amount of cultivable land in the country in 1982-1983 was 9.15 million hectares. The country has lost 87 percent area of its wetlands in seven north-east districts in the last 32 years. But unplanned constructions, grabbing, adverse impact of climate change, change of river flow and siltation in haor area will deteriorate the overall situation in coming days. A large number of people will face extreme flood risks forcing them to leave their habitats if the situation is not improved immediately.
The government always expresses its determination to protect the rivers from the grabbers in order to save the country. But their commitments always remain unfulfilled due to what they say “serious difficulties and challenges” caused by local influential and hoodlums.
The country has some 405 rivers and 57 trans-boundary rivers flowing inside Bangladesh. Around 77 rivers have totally disappeared from the map of Bangladesh, with their beds serving as croplands. And now 37 other rivers have been badly affected by grabbers and polluters.
The authorities concerned must stop building industries here and there as they would have to save arable land and other natural resources for the sake of ensuring food security for the 16 crore people. The government should go for planned industrialisation to protect the arable lands and all other natural resources.
