The government has signed US $8.29 million agreement with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Bangladesh aiming to check illegal pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, use in the country.
Secretary of Economic Relations Division (ERD) Monowar Ahmed and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Robert D Simpson signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides at ERD office on Friday, a FAO press release said.
As per the agreement, FAO Bangladesh will implement a project entitled ‘Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh’ with a grant of about US $8.29 million from Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The three year long project will help complete elimination of a huge stock pile of DDT at Agrabad, Chittagong and other Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) as per the Stockholm Convention, the release added.
It will also support the government in updating its national regulations in relation to the Stockholm Convention and developing the national capacity for the management and safe disposal of hazardous wastes, for safeguarding people and environment.
The objective of the project is to reduce risk to human and animal health and the environment from Stockpiles of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), other obsolete pesticides and from ongoing excessive use of new POPs and other highly hazardous pesticides.
It also proposes piloting a collection and disposal or recycling strategy for empty pesticide containers with an initial 100 tons of containers to be collected and safely disposed off. The system will be applicable to the management of other hazardous wastes.
