Dhaka Urban Transport Project to ease traffic congestion, air pollution

Heavy traffic jam and air pollution in the capital will ease significantly on implementation of the donor-financed Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP), parliament was told yesterday, reports UNB.

Replying to a question, Environment Minister Begum Sajeda Chowdhury said the government was implementing the 237 million US dollar scheme funded by the World Bank to solve the nagging problem of traffic congestion and to control air pollution.

Meanwhile, another project - Air Quality Management Project (AQMP) - costing over Tk 29.25 crore will be implemented by year 2002 in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna cities, she said.

Implementation of the project started last July. Under the project 20 permanent checkposts will be constructed at different important points of these cities to control black smoke emission.

The government will phase out the two-stroke engines, including the three-wheelers, said the minister replying to another question from Kamal Ahmed Majumder of the ruling party.

Implementation of yet another scheme - the Bangladesh Environment Management Project-involving more than Tk 39.12 crore funded by Canadian CIDA is under way.

Besides, the Environment Department has established an Ozone Cell to reduce the use of materials that deplete the Ozone lair.

The Save-Buriganga programme has completed its primary survey identifying 244 establishments, including 133 industrial units, that cause pollution.

"The committee formed to survey encroachment upon the river bank has completed its draft report. The government will take necessary steps after it gets the final report of the committee," the minister told the House.