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)
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The pollution in our rivers
Our rivers are in a bad state, have been for a long time. That is not surprising, seeing that we have been concerned about the situation for years. What now appears to give it a new twist is the result of a survey carried out on some of the rivers, 25 in total. Predictably, the quality of the water in the rivers has dwindled to a precarious state. Worse is the knowledge that some of these rivers may actually have reached a point where they are no longer capable of nurturing or supporting aquatic life forms in them.
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Proposed nat'l budget fails to meet its expectations
Speakers at a press conference yesterday said the proposed national budget for 2008-09 fiscal has failed to meet the expectations of the water supply and sanitation sector. They said this sector needs to be brought under a separate budget line in the national budget. The press conference was organised by the representatives of the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector in Bangladesh at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity to make an analysis of the fund allocation in the draft national budget for this sector.
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Wading through waste water
A residential area in Chittagong after flash flooding. FORMAL city planning in this part of the world began with Sir Patrick Geddess producing a Master Plan for Dhaka in 1917. The plan was never implemented. With the establishment of a planning department in erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, in the year 1948, planning activities got an institutional beginning. A British consultant was engaged for producing the Master Plans for Dhaka and Chittagong; Khulna was added later on. The Master Plans for Dhaka and Chittagong were prepared in 1960 and 1961 respectively.
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Fruit-Bearing Tree Plantation Fortnight-2008 begins today
This year's theme for the day is "Plant more fruit-bearing saplings, have improved health, nutrition and money." President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed have issued separate messages on the occasion. In his message, Iajuddin stressed the need for ensuring nutrition apart from achieving food security to protect people's health.
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Brazil offers help to Grameen Healthcare Trust
Brazil offered to provide financial and technical assistance to Grameen Healthcare Trust to give better healthcare services to the rural people. The offer came when Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus met with Brazilian Vice Minister of Health at the Health Ministry in Brasilia on June 13, according to a message from Yunus's secretariat. They discussed possible cooperation between Grameen and Brazilian government in the area of healthcare for the poor.
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Fruit-Bearing Tree Plantation Fortnight-2008 begins today
The National Fruit-bearing Tree Plantation Fortnight-2008 begins today across the country. This year's theme for the day is "Plant more fruit-bearing saplings, have improved health, nutrition and money." President Iajuddin Ahmed and Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed have issued separate messages on the occasion. In his message, Iajuddin stressed the need for ensuring nutrition apart from achieving food security to protect people's health.
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Army initiates massive tree plantation campaign
Bangladesh Army have undertaken a massive programme to make the National Tree Plantation Campaign 2008 a success, says an ISPR press release. Quarter Master General of Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Md Jahangir Alam Choudhury formally inaugurated the tree plantation campaign of Bangladesh Army by planting a palm sapling beside Army Central Mosque yesterday. Senior army officers were present on the occasion. Later he offered munajat along with other officers seeking success of the campaign.
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Pabna farmers decline to give paddy for irrigation
Farmers of Atghoria upazila under the district in a press conference yesterday demanded introducing payment of cash money instead of giving one-fourth of the paddy yield as irrigation charge to the deep tube-well owners. Atghoria unit committee of Bangladesh Krishak Oikyo Parishad arranged the press conference at Pabna Press Club auditorium as part of their campaign for removing the tradition of paying one-fourth portion of paddy to the tube-well owners.
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Tk 20cr new plan to recover canals, improve drainage
The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has taken up a new two-year project involving Tk 20 crore to resolve the water-logging problem in the city by restoring the nine canals and improving drainage system. LGRD ministry has okayed the work plan after it got nod from the Planning Commission, SCC sources said yesterday. All the nine natural canals, locally known as chhara, will be re-excavated and structures will be built to protect them from further encroachment.
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NGOs asked to come up with projects
Shiree, a poverty alleviation fund supported by DFID, organised a knowledge fair for NGOs at the British Council auditorium in the city yesterday. Shiree, a programme supported by DFID with a fund of $130 million, launched its website yesterday. The programme aims at lifting over 10 lakh people out of extreme poverty. Speakers at the launching ceremony of the website asked the NGOs to come up with poverty alleviation projects to get funds. The NGOs can apply for funds for poverty reduction projects from Shiree by logging into its website www.shiree.org.