Govt to form commission to save rivers

The government has moved to form national river commission to save rivers, Hasan Mahmud, state minister for environment and forest, told the House yesterday.
The prime minister has already formed a task force headed by the shipping minister to keep navigability of the rivers and free them from grabbers, he said while replying to lawmakers' queries.
He said a new unit styled “City Forestation Unit” under the forest department will be set up to make the capital green.
In a scripted answer, the state minister said the government has taken a three-year plan from 2009 to rehabilitate the climate change victims. He said 188 cluster villages will be built across the country under this project.
Hasan Mahmud said the government will amend the laws to stop use of plastic net. Preparation for a guideline is also under way to stop environment pollution caused by welding factories, he added.
In response to lawmakers' queries, Land Minister Rezaul Karim Hira said his ministry asked all deputy commissioners to identify those who have grabbed “khas” land.
He said the land ministry has moved to make a land zoning act and village improvement act to save cultivable land. He said separate drafts have already been prepared in this regard.
Meanwhile, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister GM Quader said the government had to spend very little amount of money to change name of Zia International Airport as the expenditure was made only for signboards.
He however claimed that the image of the airport has been increased after naming it as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.