Unplanned embankment poses threat to river
The ongoing construction of an embankment on the Sandhya river in Barishal has sparked outrage among locals who believe the structure will damage the river crucial to their livelihoods. Locals in Banaripara
Daily Star (Bangladesh)
-
DU losing environment-friendly campus
Dhaka University (DU) campus is losing its environment-friendly atmosphere day by day as the authorities are constructing a number of new buildings cutting a large number of trees on the campus. Sources said around 150 trees were felled in last five years to create space for new buildings making the campus a concrete jungle. The university authorities virtually did not take any significant steps to plant new trees on the campus to make up for losses. Moreover, new buildings are being constructed wherever the minimum space for their construction is available.
-
UN appeals for China quake relief
The United Nations yesterday launched a 33.5 million dollar appeal to aid relief efforts in southwest China where a magnitude-8.0 earthquake on May 12 left nearly 70,000 people dead. "It is the hope of the United Nations and the international community that China will quickly recover from this enormous tragedy," Khalid Malik, UN resident coordinator in China, said in a statement. The appeal will address the needs of the poor and vulnerable among the affected population, who are trying to rebuild after having survived the devastating earthquake, the statement said.
-
Climate change to spoil poverty feat
Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said poverty alleviation is a must for lasting peace and sustainable development, but climate change is a major factor in Bangladesh that casts adverse impacts on poverty. The head of the caretaker government made the remark when visiting Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Ole Danbolt Mjos made a courtesy call on him at his office in the afternoon.
-
CCC move fails to prevent waterlogging
The dredging and widening of canals have failed to bring about any positive change in the city life as the rain-induced inundation continues to cause suffering to the city dwellers from the very beginning of the rainy season. The city dwellers said the low-lying areas of the port city go under knee-deep to waist-deep water even during the short-lived rainfall lasting only two to three hours that aggravates the suffering.
-
Lafarge Surma's sanitation campaign
Lafarge Surma Cement Limited launched a sanitation programme in the remote villages of Chhatak upazila under Sunamganj district in Sylhet recently. The company initiated the programme as part of its CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities to bring thirteen villages in the region within hygienic sanitation coverage, says a press release. The campaign aims to provide such sanitation facilities to 199 families in these villages.
-
Deadly dengue back in city 6 hospitalised
Six people were admitted to different hospitals in the capital yesterday with dengue infection. With these six patients, at least 27 have so far been diagnosed with dengue in the city since July 1 till July 16, said Nasim-us-Seraj, the chief entomologist of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC). Aside from the six patients hospitalised yesterday, 15 others hospitalised before are still undergoing treatment, he added.
-
Draft coal policy to be placed in cabinet soon
The draft coal policy with options for open pit and underground mining is being sent this week to the cabinet division for the government approval. "We've completed all necessary procedures. Now the draft will be sent to the cabinet division anytime this week for approval, Chief Adviser's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Ministry M Tamim told the news agency yesterday. The inter-ministerial meeting discussing the draft policy had given the green signal to go ahead, he added.
-
WFP food for rodent-hit people in CHT
The head of European Commission for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) Bangladesh mission on Friday visited the United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) distribution programme of relief food assistance among the rodent-affected poor people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), says a press release. Head of ECHO mission David Hill visited the WFP's food distribution sites in the hilly areas.
-
Migratory birds responsible for bird flu: Study
Migratory birds are mainly responsible for the outbreak of avian influenza (AI) or bird flu in the country, according to a study report. The report said that migratory birds might be responsible for initial introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), Bangladesh Agriculture University, Chittagong Veterinary University, Department of Livestock Service and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) jointly conducted the study from February to June this year.
-
'Implement noise pollution rules'
Speakers at a seminar underscored the need for implementing the Noise Pollution (control) Rules 2006 immediately to save the people from sound pollution. Although government took the initiative to formulate a rule to control sound pollution in 2004, which was finalised in 2006 but there is no progress since then to implement the rules, they said. Save Environment Movement organised the seminar at Dhaka Reporters' Unity.