The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Environment experts at a workshop here on Thursday underlined the need for formulating a specific policy to manage industrial hazardous waste properly for ensuring sustainable and environment friendly development.

A specific waste management policy is needed as fast economic activities associated with industry, agriculture, health and other services generate chemical and hazardous waste which could lead to serious environmental problems threatening the public health.

The workshop titled 'Managing Hazardous Waste' was jointly organised by Department of Environment (DoE) and Waste Concern (WC) with the support of Asian Development Bank (ADB) at BRAC centre here.

The workshop was held under an ADB funded project titled 'Regional Technical Assistance (RETA)' on managing hazardous waste. The project is being implemented simultaneously in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bhutan from the last year. Under the project, WC is assisting DoE to update the inventory of hazardous wastes to formulate a set of rules and regulations in this regard.

Director general of DoE Dr Khandaker Rashedul Haque spoke as chief guest while joint secretary of Industry Ministry M Abul Hossain spoke as special guest.

International Consultant of ADB Dr David Green and executive director of WC Maqsood Sinha gave separate presentations.

Director (technical) of DoE chaired the workshop while senior environment specialist of ADB Dewi N Utami and deputy director of Doe Masud Iqbal M Shameem and director of WC Iftekhar Enayetullah also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Khandaker said exclusive policy for handling hazardous waste would help the government to enforce existing environmental laws for ensuring proper treatment and disposal of waste to check ecological and health hazards.