People protest pollution, misuse of the river Bangshi in Savar
People from various organisations and localities joined a campaign yesterday in Savar to protest pollution and misuse of the river Bangshi, to save rivers and to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
The programme was part of a global campaign to fight climate change, in which around 200 nations joined to press the developed nations to cut carbon emissions on the special binary date 10/10/10 yesterday.
The event focused on the theme, ‘Save River, Save Biodiversity’.
Local people, specially the youth, joined the programme spontaneously to stop pollutants being dumped into Bangshi and to reduce the carbon emissions.
TREE (Training and Research Education for Empowerment), with the help of Environmental Sciences and Management Department of North South University (NSU), Department of Environmental Sciences of Jahangirnagar University, organised the programme.
Addressing the occasion, Farhad Hossain, pro-vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, said, “It is indeed a pleasure to find someone at least taking initiative to save the Bangshi and hopefully the rest will follow this noble cause.”
“Rivers are our life and protecting them is not only a duty but also a responsibility,” reminded Prof Ataur Rahman of Mymensingh Agricultural Institute.
Dr ATM Nurul Amin of NSU and Shahid I Mallick, CEO, TREE also spoke at the event.
The speakers demanded the developed nations should limit the carbon particles in air within 350 ppm (particle per million), which would ultimately keep the rise of global temperature within 1.5 degrees celsius.
The organisers planted 10 fruit trees on the bank of the Bangshi, now polluted severely due to unplanned industrialisation.
The programme was followed by a cultural event and river cruise, said a press release.
