close
close

Mobile courts need to be intensified against hill cutting, use of polythene, air pollution: councilor Rizwana

Mobile courts need to be intensified against hill cutting, use of polythene, air pollution: councilor Rizwana

District administrations, municipalities and the environment ministry will collaborate to scale up the operations of mobile courts, she said.

TBS Report

December 22, 2024, 7:50 p.m.

Last modification: December 22, 2024, 7:58 p.m.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor on environment, forests and climate change, speaks during a discussion at the secretariat on December 22, 2024. Photo: PID

“>
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor on environment, forests and climate change, speaks during a discussion at the secretariat on December 22, 2024. Photo: PID

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor on environment, forests and climate change, speaks during a discussion at the secretariat on December 22, 2024. Photo: PID

The government is set to intensify joint roving hearing campaigns to tackle illegal hill cutting, air pollution and use of banned polythene, Syeda Rizwana said today (Dec 22). Hasan, environment, forests and climate change advisor.

Speaking at a discussion titled ‘Preventing the use of banned polyethylene in chattograms and reducing plastic pollution’, held at the secretariat, Rizwana highlighted key measures to tackle environmental violations.

The discussion brought together officials, environmental experts and business leaders to strategize solutions to today’s ecological challenges.

“District administrations, municipalities and the Ministry of Environment will collaborate to scale up the operations of mobile courts,” the advisor said.

She stressed the need for immediate action to safeguard the environment, including the installation of warning signs on hills, increased patrols and official guidelines to hill owners to prevent illegal hill cutting.

“Strict legal action will be taken against those who violate environmental laws,” she warned, reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance stance towards such infractions.

The advisor also announced his intention to create a list of polyethylene manufacturers to facilitate legal proceedings. She stressed the importance of mandatory barcodes on packaging and advocated roving judicial operations in markets and supermarkets. Intercepting trucks transporting illegal polyethylene is essential to curb its distribution, she added.

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain, Environment Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, Local Government Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam and officials of Chattogram Development Authority also spoke during the meeting.

Speakers highlighted the need for stricter law enforcement and increased public awareness to combat environmental degradation.

Representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, environmental groups and media participated virtually in the discussion. Many echoed the demand for sustainable practices and stricter monitoring to eliminate the use of banned polythene and reduce plastic pollution in Chattogram.