The government has decided to ban the establishment of new industrial units and development projects within 10 kilometres of the Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) surrounding the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will soon issue a gazette notification to enforce the decision, officials said on Monday.
The move was finalized at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Environment and Climate Change Committee, held at the Secretariat and chaired by Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.
A neutral panel of experts will conduct environmental impact assessments of existing industrial units located within the 10km ECA zone. Based on the panel's findings and existing court directives, authorities will determine the next course of action regarding those establishments.
The meeting also approved key amendments to the Climate Change Trust Rules, allowing joint project proposals from government agencies, private organisations, and NGOs.
Additionally, the committee agreed to consult all ministries while formulating the next national action plan to address noise pollution.
Further proposals included increasing the enforcement budget for the Environment Ministry and introducing risk allowances for Forest Department personnel.
To promote eco-friendly construction, the government also set a target to ensure that at least 30 percent of all bricks used in public and private construction projects by 2025 are replaced with concrete blocks.
A follow-up coordination meeting, involving secretaries from relevant ministries, will be held in May to review implementation progress.
