Policy decisions on environment shall remain on paper
THE government’s commitment to maintain environment-friendly development and promote biodiversity by preserving hills, water bodies and greenery, a section of influential ruling party men are at the forefront in hill-cutting and encroachment of rivers and water bodies across the country. Even, the lawmaker of Cumilla-6 the constituency has threatened an official of the Department of Environment (DoE) with dire consequences after she inspected a hill-cutting project by Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and prepared a damage assessment report.
A Deputy Director of DoE Cumilla office inspected the spot at Sadar (South) upazila where two contracting firms close to the MP were flattening around 11,400 cubic feet of the hill to expand the existing road under a project of RHD. The lawmaker shouted her how she dared to prepare the inspection report without consulting him, even though the inspection was conducted in the presence of representatives from the contracting firms. The lawmaker, read lawbreaker, also continued to charge her for issuing notice to the contracting firms instead of issuing it to the RHD, though the official said she just followed the regulations.
Environmental consequences of hill cutting are landslide, soil erosion, Flush Flooding and waterlogging during the monsoon period, Siltation in rivers and canals, Imbalance in ecosystem and biodiversity, Change in catchment characteristics, Increase in chances of earthquake and decrease in intensity of rainfall. As per the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act 2010, hill cutting is a cognizable offence and no government, semi-government or autonomous organization is allowed to cut or raze hills without prior permission from the authorities concerned. In this context, we stun such misbehaviour from a lawmaker to a government official, who is supposed to help DoE ensure the protection of the environment that the Prime Minister has set among her top ten priority list. The parliament should look into the affair and warn the lawmaker and the ruling party should take disciplinary action against him for the step against the government policy.
A Deputy Director of DoE Cumilla office inspected the spot at Sadar (South) upazila where two contracting firms close to the MP were flattening around 11,400 cubic feet of the hill to expand the existing road under a project of RHD. The lawmaker shouted her how she dared to prepare the inspection report without consulting him, even though the inspection was conducted in the presence of representatives from the contracting firms. The lawmaker, read lawbreaker, also continued to charge her for issuing notice to the contracting firms instead of issuing it to the RHD, though the official said she just followed the regulations.
Environmental consequences of hill cutting are landslide, soil erosion, Flush Flooding and waterlogging during the monsoon period, Siltation in rivers and canals, Imbalance in ecosystem and biodiversity, Change in catchment characteristics, Increase in chances of earthquake and decrease in intensity of rainfall. As per the Environment Conservation (Amendment) Act 2010, hill cutting is a cognizable offence and no government, semi-government or autonomous organization is allowed to cut or raze hills without prior permission from the authorities concerned. In this context, we stun such misbehaviour from a lawmaker to a government official, who is supposed to help DoE ensure the protection of the environment that the Prime Minister has set among her top ten priority list. The parliament should look into the affair and warn the lawmaker and the ruling party should take disciplinary action against him for the step against the government policy.
