For setting up effective environmental courts
Friday, 29 June 2007
Abdur Rahim
THE environmental awareness has been picking up in Bangladesh from the late eighties when a separate ministry of the Environment with the Department of the Environment (DOE) under it, came into being. Later, the environment court was set up and moves were made to introduce laws for protecting the country's environment. But it is regrettable to note that more than two decades after their creation, the Ministry and the Department, have been functioning lackadaisically, to say the least.
While the establishment of these two bodies created some hope, the same was not followed up by true activism on their part by fine-tuning and applying environmental laws. The environmental laws have a namesake existence with many gaps that offenders can easily exploit to their advantage. Apart from the laws without bite, awareness among people that they can get redress from environment-related problems, is also a thin one. Therefore, the environment court has existed for a long time in this situation without playing a significant role.
A total shake-up in the sphere of the environment is necessary which only a government of the type which is now governing the country can accomplish. The environmental issues are well known. These are : the degradation of agricultural lands, indiscriminate felling of trees and clearing of vegetation, unregulated use of pesticides, polluting of rivers from the most carefree discharge of all kinds of effluents in them, air pollution, environmentally hazardous disposal of urban wastes and hospital garbage, etc.
All of these and more threats to the environment call for addressing in a comprehensive and systematic manner by the relevant government agencies. But to do their work they need to be properly empowered and backed up by clear and unambiguous laws. The environmental laws are incomplete in some cases which require their appropriate enlargement and new laws need to be introduced for application in response to offences in other areas.
Thus, upgrading of the laws seems to be the first task. The next in the order of priorities would be the enforcement of these laws and for this purpose the environmental court must be strengthened in all respects. Branches of this court will have to be set up in every district and manned properly. Manpower and logistical abilities of the Department of the Environment must also increase likewise and its presence should be felt all over the country.
THE environmental awareness has been picking up in Bangladesh from the late eighties when a separate ministry of the Environment with the Department of the Environment (DOE) under it, came into being. Later, the environment court was set up and moves were made to introduce laws for protecting the country's environment. But it is regrettable to note that more than two decades after their creation, the Ministry and the Department, have been functioning lackadaisically, to say the least.
While the establishment of these two bodies created some hope, the same was not followed up by true activism on their part by fine-tuning and applying environmental laws. The environmental laws have a namesake existence with many gaps that offenders can easily exploit to their advantage. Apart from the laws without bite, awareness among people that they can get redress from environment-related problems, is also a thin one. Therefore, the environment court has existed for a long time in this situation without playing a significant role.
A total shake-up in the sphere of the environment is necessary which only a government of the type which is now governing the country can accomplish. The environmental issues are well known. These are : the degradation of agricultural lands, indiscriminate felling of trees and clearing of vegetation, unregulated use of pesticides, polluting of rivers from the most carefree discharge of all kinds of effluents in them, air pollution, environmentally hazardous disposal of urban wastes and hospital garbage, etc.
All of these and more threats to the environment call for addressing in a comprehensive and systematic manner by the relevant government agencies. But to do their work they need to be properly empowered and backed up by clear and unambiguous laws. The environmental laws are incomplete in some cases which require their appropriate enlargement and new laws need to be introduced for application in response to offences in other areas.
Thus, upgrading of the laws seems to be the first task. The next in the order of priorities would be the enforcement of these laws and for this purpose the environmental court must be strengthened in all respects. Branches of this court will have to be set up in every district and manned properly. Manpower and logistical abilities of the Department of the Environment must also increase likewise and its presence should be felt all over the country.