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Govt Moves to Ban New Industries Within 10km of Sundarbans ECA
The government has decided to ban the establishment of new industrial units and projects within 10 kilometres of the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will soon issue a gazette notification formalising the decision, officials confirmed on Monday.
The move came during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Environment and Climate Change Committee, held at the Secretariat with Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan in the chair.
A neutral panel of experts will evaluate the environmental impact of existing industrial units within the ECA. Decisions on their future will be based on these assessments and existing court directives.
The meeting also approved amendments to the Climate Change Trust Rules, enabling joint project proposals from government agencies, private entities, and NGOs.
Other key decisions included:
Formulating a national action plan to combat noise pollution in consultation with all ministries.
Proposals to increase the enforcement budget of the Environment Ministry.
Introducing and expanding risk allowances for Forest Department staff.
A target to use at least 30% concrete blocks in public and private construction by 2025.
A high-level coordination meeting is scheduled for May to monitor progress on these initiatives.