The environment ministry has identified 190 industries and factories within 10 kilometres of the Sundarbans, which was declared an ecologically critical area in 1999. Among these, 24 industries and factories are under the red category and the rest are under the orange category.
Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju yesterday submitted the list of 190 industries and factories to the High Court in line with a previous court order.
After receiving the government report, a bench of Justices Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Md. Ashraful Kamal fixed May 9 for hearing the matter.
According to the list, all the 190 industries and factories that were posing a threat to the largest mangrove forest in the world were located in Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira areas of the Sundarbans. Among them, 92 were in Khulna, 78 in Bagerhat, and 20 in Satkhira.
The report said among the 190 units, 36 factories have stopped functioning, while 154 are operating in full swing.
The industries and factories identified under the red category include Meghna Cement Mills Ltd, Holcim Cement Mills Ltd, Mongla Cement Mills Ltd, Sundarban Industrial Complex Ltd,
Pes Tobacco Industries Ltd, WCL Ltd, Ta and Pa Engineering Ltd, Omera Petroleum Ltd, Dubai Bangladesh Cement Mills Ltd, Petredec Elpiji Ltd, Navana CNG Ltd, Mongla Oil Institution, Teledata Marine Solution Ltd, SKS LPG Ltd, Petromax Refinery Ltd, United Refinery, Decan LPG Ltd, Sundarban Pipyard Ltd and Sub-marine Pipyard Ltd.
The HC bench said these 24 industries and factories had to be shifted out from within 10-km of the Sundarbans area as the environment and forest ministry had declared the mangrove forest as a reserved area and surrounding areas as ecologically critical on August 30, 1999.
“We will pass an order after holding a hearing on the matter widely,” the HC bench said.
The deputy attorney general informed the court that these industries and factories had been functioning there for long after taking clearance certificates from the government. Saju, however, added that these red industries could not be termed harmful before completion of the hearing on the matter. After taking expert opinions, the HC bench would pass its order, he noted.
Barrister Shaikh Mohammad Zakir Hossain, the petitioner’s counsel, told The Independent that the environment and forest ministry had issued a gazette notification on August 30, 1999 declaring the 10 km area surrounding the Sundarbans as ecologically critical. So, none of the establishment could stay within the ecologically critical area and there was no way for the 24 red category to function in the area, he added.
Hossain, however, added that the court would determine whether the industries and factories could stay there after the hearing on May 9.
On August 24 last year, the HC had ordered the government not to approve any new factory or industrial unit within a 10 km radius of the Sundarbans.
It also sought a detailed list of industries and factories set up within the 10 km radius of the mangrove forest that is considered as an ecologically critical area. It had asked the government to submit the list within six months.
The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government to explain why its approval to set up industries and factories within the 10km zone of the Sundarbans should not be declared illegal.
It also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to remove the industries and factories that were already set up there.