Manikchhari (Khagrachhari) Correspondent

A workshop on environmental protection wad held at Manikchhari, Khagrachari at the initiative of non-governmental development organization Caritas.

UNO Tahmina Afroz Bhuiyan was the chief guest at the workshop held under the organization's CPP PAEP-2 project at the Upazila Parishad auditorium on Tuesday (March 18) at 10 am.

The workshop, chaired by the project's field officer Sadhan Krishna Chakma, was addressed by Upazila Agriculture Officer Zahir Raihan, Fisheries Officer Md. Mahmudul Hasan, Upazila Social Service Officer Abdur Rashed, Upazila Youth Development Officer Deb Prasad Dutta, Upazila Food Controller Sukhipriya Chakma, Press Club General Secretary Alamgir Hossain and journalist Md. Rabiul Hossain, among others.

The participants presented various causes of environmental pollution in the workshop and gave their opinions on how to remedy it. Their discussion raised issues such as illegal sand mining, uncontrolled tree cutting, burning of trees, tobacco cultivation upstream of Haldar, excessive use of chemical fertilizers due to the arrival of more profit, and the use of polythene everywhere.

To solve this problem, the speakers said, 'We ourselves are constantly polluting the environment. Everyone needs to know about the harmful effects of environmental pollution. If we can make everyone aware from their own place, our environment will be pollution-free and safe. Therefore, we need to come forward with public awareness activities to protect the environment.'

Teachers, students, journalists, representatives of civil society, religious leaders, project-related officials, and responsible persons of the upazila and union forums were present at the workshop.