Bangladesh on Thursday banned the import of new oil-fired turn-key electricity generators, citing foreign exchange worries and reversing a policy to allow independent power producers to setup mini plants to meet chronic power shortages.

Bangladesh had planned to host 49 so-called quick rental power plants, mostly fuel-oil powered generating units shipped into the country ready to run, by the end of next year to help cover a daily electricity demand shortfall of 1,500 megawatts (MW).

The Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday passed the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Bill seeking to modernise the transport system of Dhaka city and the adjoining districts that have been experiencing severe traffic congestion for quite a while.

The bill brought the districts of Naryanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gazipur, and Narsingdi under the purview of the law by amending the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board Act, 2001.

Senior officials at the Ministry of Energy (MoE) have sought official position of the ruling UCPN (Maoist) on implementation of the Pancheshwar Multi Purpose Project, a part of Nepal-India Mahakali Treaty, ahead of the Nepal-India ministerial-level talks.

Authorities on Wednesday said bird flu virus was not detected in the dead chickens in Satherjhora-8, around 15 km south-west of the two bird flu outbreak sites in Sunsari. It was reportedly claimed that around 500 chickens had died in the past three days in the Satherjhora area from an unknown disease.

“Samples of dead chickens sent to the Regional Laboratory, Biratnagar, have confirmed that the death of the chickens was due to worms, not bird flu,” Chineshwor Meheta, the Animal Health Technician at the District Veterinary Office, said.

In an effort to expand power supply to the Mannar and Vavuniya Districts in the Northern Province, the Power and Energy Ministry has decided to establish a 100 MW wind-powered electricity plant in Mannar.

The construction of the plant was to commence by the end of this year, Ministry Media Secretary Dhanushka Ramanayaka said.

He said feasibility studies were being conducted.

Werapitiya Hydro Power Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of DSI Samson Group Pvt Ltd had invested Rs 450 million to setup a mini hydro power plant at Theldeniya in Kandy in a bid to supply electricity to the national grid from 2013.

Werapitiya Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Managing Director Ranjith Somasiri told Daily News Business that the mini hydro power plant would have the capacity to generate two megawatts of electricity. The company has already signed an agreement with the Board of Investment to setup a mini hydro power plant and it will provide employment for more than 20 people in the area.

Authorities have detected germs that cause diseases like diarrhoea and cholera in drinking water samples collected from rural and city areas in Banke district.

Microbiologist Khagendra KC of the National Public Health Laboratory said they found the germs in water collected from tubewells and water pipelines. The laboratory said the germs were detected in 12 of the samples collected from 20 areas. The samples were sent for testing on November 5 to 8.

“Water in the (12) areas is not suitable for drinking,” KC said.

Ministry of Industry has formed a committee to study the impact of industrial pollution on locals at different industrial areas, according to secretary Uma Kanta Jha.

“Locals residing in the adjacent areas of industrial zones are facing difficulties due to pollution and hazardous chemicals produced by the industries,” he said, adding that even the rivers are contaminated putting the lives of locals at risk.

The industries should abide by safety measures according to the licence conditions, he added. “But most of them are found to be breaching the laws.”

The High Court yesterday stayed for 10 days the effectiveness of the environmental certificate issued by the Department of Environment (DoE) for implementation of a water supply project of Khulna City Corporation (KCC).

In response to a writ petition, the court also issued a rule upon the government to explain in 10 days why the DoE's decision to issue the certificate for Phultala Water Supply Project of KCC should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim also fixed February 19 for hearing the rule.