Level of oxygen rises in Buringanga
The level of oxygen has increased in the recent times in the Buriganga making the river livable for different fish species, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud told journalists at his office yesterday.
"This is very good news that the level of soluble oxygen has gone up significantly in the Buriganga water this year than that of the last year for some measures taken by the government," he said.
The state minister quoted statistics that the oxygen level at Dhupkhali point of the river was measured 0.42mg on April 3, 2011 against 00mg on April 1, 2010.
The level of soluble oxygen has also increased slightly by 0.50mg on May 2 than that of the previous month, he added.
Soluble oxygen level at the points of Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge and Pagla were recorded 0.96mg and 0.82mg on April 3 this year against the level of 00mg and 00mg on April 1 last year, said the minister.
Dr Mahmud said the government, to check environment and river pollution, has published a gazette notification after declaring the offshore areas of four rivers around Dhaka city -- Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Sitalakhya -- "environmentally endangered".
He said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority is lifting garbage and wastes from river with the support of Climate Change Trust Fund.
The minister informed the media that the government has strengthened the drive of cleaning the river and the shores by conducting mobile court drives and has already realised Tk 6,88,825 as fine from the encroachers from January 2009 to April 2011.
He said the government is also planning to impose tax on the vehicles emitting black smoke and has issued circular to set up modern brickfields to contain carbon emission so that air pollution is checked.
The government has also launched a drive to stop marketing and use of polythene bags and filed a number of cases on charges of marketing banned polythene, he said.
The minister said the government for the first time has launched garbage-recycling project on pilot basis in different areas of the capital including Dhanmondi, Baridhara, Gulshan, Minto Road, and Gono Bhaban, and Khulshi and Nasirabad in Chittagong.
The project titled "Reduce, reuse, recycle-3R" will be implemented at an estimated cost of Tk 1,909.80 lakh by 2012, he added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments