Greens protest permission to 300 factories near Sundarbans
Leaders of the National Committee for Saving the Sundarbans yesterday protested against the permission given to set up over 300 new factories near the mangrove forest and demanded their cancellation. Speaking at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Sundarban Rakkhya Jatiya Committee (SRJC) president Sultana Kamal said that they have learnt from media outlets that permission has been granted to set up 320 factories near the Sundarbans.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Environment Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on August 6, she added. She said 186 factories had been set up in the area during the late-90s. Besides, 118 factories received clearance from Directorate of Environment(DOE), while 16 new industrial units dealing with bottling of liquid petroleum gas have also been given permission.
These are harmful to the environment of the locality, the SRJC president noted.
She said these industrial units have been permitted to work in the area by violating a 1999 government decision to protect the Sundarbans which intended to prevent the setting up of any industry within 10km of the forest.
The SRJC president demanded immediate removal or closure of the private or government projects or establishments in and around the Sundarbans, immediate closure of all ongoing projects and cancellation of allotted plots, selection of a new site for the Rampal project after an international team-led neutral and scientific environmental impact assessment, cancellation of all environmental assessments carried out by the government, and upgrading the forest departments workability.
