The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday directed the Korean Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) authorities to stop cutting hills in its project areas under Anwara and Patia upazilas in Chittagong.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of DoE conducted a drive in KEPZ project areas and found that the authorities had levelled around 40 to 60 feet high hills at three different sites to make industrial plots.
The DoE team also directed the KEPZ authorities to plant trees and dig ponds to revive the ecology of the hilly areas and protect their biodiversity.

Environment and Forest Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said effective policy and planning should be adopted immediately to check unplanned urbanisation of the country particularly for Dhaka city to ensure livable city life.
"Now it is time to find out ways and means for sustainable growth of Dhaka city as it is expanding in an unplanned manner making the city unlivable," he told a policy seminar 'Urban Bangladesh Challenges of Transition' at the CIRDAP auditorium here.

GUWAHATI, Sept 4 – Transit through Bangladesh will be on top of the agenda for talks during the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s two-day visit to Dhaka from September 6. The Government of India will also formally thank Bangladesh for its role in dealing with militancy.

Indian National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is expected to finalise shortly its proposed 2,640-MW power projects in Bangladesh to be implemented in a joint venture with the Bangladesh Power Development Board at an estimated cost of Rs13,200 crore, media report said.
IJ Kapoor, director (commercial), NTPC, said, NTPC on Wednesday held a meeting with BPDB at New Delhi wherein both parties talked of implementing two 1,320-MW (each) thermal power projects at Khulna and Chittagong in Bangladesh.

The Directorate of Environment on Monday fined eight establishments Tk 2.5 lakh for the first time in Chittagong for sound pollution.
Director (enforcement) of DoE Mohammad Munir Chowdhury led the sudden drive at Pahartali area and imposed the penalty on eight establishments for causing health hazard to the public by producing high sound beyond limit.
The establishments fined during the drive were, Maa Moni Enterprise, Bagdad Trading, Faruk Enterprise, SI Trading, Ananya Steel, AK Steel Enterprise, Nishan Enterprise and RY Enterprise.

The Environment Depart-ment on Wednesday fined the Uttara Automobile Manufacturers Limited at Nasirabad in the Chittagong city Tk 30 lakh on charge of causing environmental pollution.

A team of the department, led by director (monitoring and enforcement) Moham-med Munir Chowdhury, conducted a raid on the factory and found it causing huge air and sound pollution during assembling and manufacturing automobiles.

A Chittagong mobile court fined 13 different modes of vehicles on charge of polluting environment through emitting black smoke at WASA crossing in the city on Wednesday.

The court, led by executive magistrate Rezaul Karim, realised Tk 800 from two private cars, Tk 2,800 from five buses and Tk 1,800 from six CNG-run auto-rickshaws during the drive.

The Chittagong Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, through a ceremony at the Arefin Nagar Hill in the city at 11:00am on Wednesday, launched the third phase of Karnaphuli Water Supply Project.

The goal of the project financed by a loan from the Japan International Coopera-tion Agency to the Govern-ment of Bangladesh is to strategically improve the management capacity of CWASA.

CWASA manag