Govt takes all steps for conservation of Sundarbans: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the government has taken all necessary steps for conservation of the biodiversity of the Sundarbans and protect the Royal Bengal Tiger inhabiting in the long mangrove forests, reports BSS.
She said most of the rivers around the mangrove forests dried up due to shrimp hatchery over the years since 1975. But most of those sweet water rivers were excavated, making their operational, and dredging of other rivers is going on.
The prime minister said this while inaugurating the World Environment Day programmes and Environment Fair-2018 at a function at Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) here.
Simultaneously the premier inaugurated the National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair-2018 and an ambitious plan of planting three million saplings in the memory of three million martyrs who laid down their lives in 1971.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has also taken steps to prevent forest crime and create opportunities for alternative employment for local people dependent on Sundarbans and protect wetlands.
She said the government is implementing extensive forestry activities for the development of coastal green fountains in 19 newly surfaced chars in coastal areas. About 2, 10,000 hectares of coastal gardens were created to protect people from natural disasters.
Wildlife habitat and fish breeding fields were created while about 1,600 square kilometers of land in the Bay of Bengal were connected with main land of the country through forestation, she added.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forest Dr Hasan Mahmud, Deputy Minister Abdullah Al Islam Jacob, Secretary of the Ministry Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury spoke on the occasion with Environment Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud in the chair.
On the occasion, the prime minister handed over the National Environment Award-2018, Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation-2018, Prime Minister’s National Award for Tree Plantation-2017 and distributed cheques among the beneficiaries of the Social Forestation Programme.
