At the bed of the Kirtankhola River (Bangladesh), the presence of polythene found in a terrible shape
“Over years a thick layer of polythene deposited at the bed of the Kirtankhola river, Barishal, which is also regarded as the curse of the nature of Barishal district, which is alarming”, said the speakers at a Civic dialogue recently held at Barishal.
The civic dialogue was titled ‘Implementation of a court judgment against the use of non-disposable plastic-polythene: Encouragement of alternative use.’ Professor Gazi Zahid Hossain presided over the dialogue. Md. Shahidul Islam, Deputy Director of Local Government, was the chief guest.
The speakers said, “The indiscriminate use of plastic and polythene will become a severe threat to the environment, especially to the soil, and the water worldwide.
Due to excessive use of plastics and mismanagement of waste, the environment, including agricultural lands, drainage systems, rivers, canals, and other water bodies, are being damaged.”
“One-time usages polythene bags are getting scattered in here and there and everywhere, i.e., roads, drains, rivers, and canals, etc. Accumulated polythene and indigestible products make an obstacle in the drainage systems,” the speakers continued.
“The main reason for waterlogging during the rainy season is the polythene bags lying around. For this, it is necessary to take the initiative to stop the use of environmentally unfriendly products like plastic and polythene,” make an obstacle in the drainage systems,” the speakers continued.
They stressed the implementation of the court’s verdict in this regard. Lincoln Bayen, the Barisal Divisional Coordinator of BELA, gave a welcome address and presented the keynote at the dialogue.
The speakers lamented that despite the enactment of laws to curb the use of polythene, including its production, import, marketing, sale, storage, distribution, will not be stopped.
For this, they suggested that confiscating the equipment in factories alongside regular market monitoring must prevail all over the country.
At the same time, they suggested using bamboo materials, stainless steel, wood materials, reusable shopping bags, leaf products, bee wax products, earthenware jute materials, and biopolymers as alternatives to plastics.
