Industrial establishments banned within 10km of Sundarbans

The environment ministry on Monday issued a gazette notification, banning new industrial establishments within 10-km stretch of the Sundarbans in an effort to protect the world's largest mangrove forest.

The ministry exercised the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 (Amended 2010), to impose the ban on the area declared as Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans Reserve Forest.

However, environmentally sustainable and planned activities aimed at conserving the natural environment, improving environmental quality, controlling and mitigating pollution, and ensuring sustainable management may be undertaken in the area.

This decision is considered a significant step toward maintaining the ecological balance in the ECA region surrounding the Sundarbans, said the ministry in a statement.

Earlier, last month, the ministry at a meeting took the decision and said that a team of experts would assess the environmental impact of existing industries within the 10 km ECA. Based on this assessment and subject to court directives, further decisions regarding these establishments will be taken.

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