Pollution control must for sustainable economic dev

A country's economic development can never be sustained if proper pollution control technologies are not introduced along with industrial development, speakers told a seminar yesterday.
The seminar was organised by Asian People's Exchange (APEX), a Japan-based non-government organisation (NGO), in collaboration with Yayasan Dian Desa (Light of the Village Foundation, an Indonesian NGO) in a hotel in the capital.

Muhammad Munir Chowdhury, former director (enforcement), Department of Environment, presented a paper on “the environment challenges and consequences in Bangladesh”.
He said rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have turned into devastation, particularly polluting water and adversely affecting biodiversity.
Soil fertility and water quality were under threat from industrial effluent and brick kilns, reducing fish, fruit and crop yield, causing huge economic losses, he said.
Though benefitting from industrialisation, Bangladesh did not control pollution, becoming the loser in several sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, dairy, tourism and human health, he added. APEX Director Dr Nao Tanaka also presented a paper on waste water treatment technology.