Government’s Master Plan for St. Martin’s Island Nears Finalization

The interim government is working on a master plan for St. Martin’s Island, the country’s only coral island, which is nearing finalization, according to Deepankar Bar, Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

In a press release issued by the ministry on Friday (August 8), it was stated that over the past year, the ministry has undertaken several groundbreaking initiatives to protect the environment, conserve forests and biodiversity, and address the impacts of climate change.

Deepankar Bar said that the master plan for the island is in the final stages of preparation. Alongside, initiatives have been taken for waste management and creating alternative income opportunities for local residents. To restore the island’s ecosystem and minimize environmental damage, various measures have been implemented to regulate tourism activities. The press release highlighted that the use of banned polythene in shopping malls across the country has been completely stopped to reduce pollution. Joint operations with law enforcement agencies continue to prevent polythene use in factories, raw markets, and other places. Additionally, a project in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles and Jute has been launched to ensure the supply of affordable jute bags as an alternative to polythene. The ministry has formulated a “National Air Quality Management Plan” to control air pollution. As part of this, 830 illegal brick kilns have been dismantled, and the process to declare Savar and Ashulia in Dhaka as “polluted air zones” is underway. Illegal lead factories have been shut down, and efforts to raise awareness about noise pollution involve engaging the youth. Nine factories responsible for polluting the Gacha Canal in Gazipur have had their connections completely severed, and all polythene manufacturing factories have been closed. The ministry has approved new programs for the Department of Environment and initiated the construction of 37 office buildings. To protect hills, data on hills in 16 districts have been added to an online database, with regular monitoring in place. Under the Climate Change Trust Fund, 41 projects worth BDT 3.51 billion have been approved. Additionally, the “Bangladesh Climate Development Partnership” has been finalized. The press release noted significant progress in forest and wildlife conservation. A total of 10,322 acres of forest land in Cox’s Bazar and Sonadia have been reclaimed for various purposes. A 144-acre area in Purbachal has been declared a special biodiversity zone. Over the past year, 5,093 acres of encroached forest land have been recovered and reforested. The production and planting of eucalyptus and acacia tree saplings have been banned. Special initiatives have been taken to restore the Madhupur Sal forest. Restoration efforts are ongoing in the forests of Chunti and Sherpur to ensure elephant movement corridors and enhance biodiversity. To reduce human-elephant conflicts, 159 “Elephant Response Teams (ERT)” have been formed. Efforts are underway to reintroduce the endangered native peacock, and various measures are being taken to protect critically endangered species. Wetlands have been declared sanctuaries, and 5,684 animals have been rescued through 293 operations targeting wildlife crimes. The use of plastics and picnic activities in national parks and ecoparks has been banned. Additionally, the modernization of wildlife laws and the formulation of new laws, regulations, and guidelines are ongoing.

The press release emphasized that these initiatives by the ministry have set a new benchmark for environmental and nature conservation in the country. These efforts will play a crucial role in building a climate-resilient and sustainable Bangladesh.