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Change Your Life! |
New technology to reduce pollution by baby taxis |
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News |
May 8, 2000
Dhaka, May 7 (UNB)- As city life is beset with serious health hazards owing to air pollution, the army innovate a technology converting petrol-driven two-stroke baby taxis into LPG-fuelled vehicles reducing the quantum of environment contamination. The transformed baby taxi, which is cost-effective, is safer and free from air pollution to a large extent. The Inspection of Technical Development (ITD) department of the army has developed this new technology. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka Cantonment this (Sunday) morning and witnessed the demonstration of the LPG-run baby taxi. Chief of Army Staff Lt General M Mustafzur Rahman apprised the Prime Minister of different aspects of the transformed baby. She took keen interest in it and asked the Army Chief to explore ways for its extensive use for the public. Environment and Forest Minister Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Secretary to Environment Ministry Margub Morshed, Navy Chief Rear Admiral Abu Taher and senior army officers were present. Briefing newsmen Brig Aftab Uddin Ahmed who is Director of ITD said the transformed baby taxi reduces the fuel cost by about 34 percent besides cutting down pollution of air. It can run about 400 km with one 25-litre cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas costing about Tk 350. He said LPG cylinder could easily be replaced at petrol pump. The price of conversion kit is Tk 8000 and time required for installation of kit is only one hour. Use of LPG instead of petrol would help reduce lead and carbon monoxide contents in the air, injurious to health. Over a lakh two-stroke baby taxis ply in the city, spewing black smoke posing a dangerous threat to public health. The government recently banned the import of two-stroke engine. “Use of LPG-fuelled baby taxi with two-stroke engine would reduce the current air pollution and help keep the environment clean,” Brig Ahmed said.
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