Tannery relocation

Govt extends deadline to Feb

The government has finally beaten a retreat and asked tannery owners to relocate their factories from Hazaribagh to Savar Tannery Estate by February.
The decision was taken at a steering committee meeting of the Industries Ministry yesterday with Industries Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan in the chair.
Earlier on January 10, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu had given a 72-hour ultimatum to tannery owners to shift their factories to Savar estate.
Following the minister’s directive, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) first served 28 legal notices and then served 85 fresh legal notices to 85 tannery owners to relocate their factories within 72 hours or face closure.
Since then, however, not a single factory has shifted to Savar within the stipulated time, and the government, instead of taking action against tannery owners concerned, has now extended the deadline for shifting to February.
Project Director of Savar Tannery Industrial City, Abdul Qaiyum, told The Independent yesterday “The minister has directed through the industries secretary for extension of time till February. Legal action must be taken against tannery owners if they fail to relocate their factories by February. There is no scope to extend time further at any cost.”
“We have already served legal notices to 113 factory owners. Twenty-nine more legal notices will be served soon to 29 tannery owners. It is decided no one will be allowed to stay in Hazaribagh after the stipulated period at any cost,” said Qaiyum in reply to a query.
He added that legal procedure has been started against 17 tannery owners who have failed to start construction work at Savar tannery estate. “These tannery owners neither replied to the legal notices nor have they started work. So, the meeting decided to initiate legal action against them,” he said.
Owner of Progati Leather, Hazi Muhammad Nurul Alam thanked the government initiative and said, “It is very much essential to relocate tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar. We need the government’s cooperation in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Paribesh Bachao Andolan questioned the government as to why no action has been taken against tannery owners who have failed to relocate their factories within the stipulated time.
They also demanded that utility services like electricity, gas and water connections to tannery factories in Hazaribagh be snapped immediately.
Abu Naser Khan of POBA said, “There is dire need to relocate the factories. People in the entire area of Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar face a real health risk. Water bodies and environment has turned poisonous due to discharge of untreated waste from these tanneries.”
In 2003, the authorities had decided to shift the tanneries as they had virtually turned the Buriganga into a pool of septic water, with untreated waste from over 200 local tanneries being dumped into the river.

 

Tannery relocation

Govt extends deadline to Feb

The government has finally beaten a retreat and asked tannery owners to relocate their factories from Hazaribagh to Savar Tannery Estate by February. The decision was taken at a steering committee meeting of the Industries Ministry yesterday with Industries Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan in the chair. Earlier on January 10, Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu had given a 72-hour ultimatum to tannery owners to shift their factories to Savar estate. Following the ministers directive, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) first served 28 legal notices and then served 85 fresh legal notices to 85 tannery owners to relocate their factories within 72 hours or face closure. Since then, however, not a single factory has shifted to Savar within the stipulated time, and the government, instead of taking action against tannery owners concerned, has now extended the deadline for shifting to February. Project Director of Savar Tannery Industrial City, Abdul Qaiyum, told The Independent yesterday The minister has directed through the industries secretary for extension of time till February. Legal action must be taken against tannery owners if they fail to relocate their factories by February. There is no scope to extend time further at any cost. We have already served legal notices to 113 factory owners. Twenty-nine more legal notices will be served soon to 29 tannery owners. It is decided no one will be allowed to stay in Hazaribagh after the stipulated period at any cost, said Qaiyum in reply to a query. He added that legal procedure has been started against 17 tannery owners who have failed to start construction work at Savar tannery estate. These tannery owners neither replied to the legal notices nor have they started work. So, the meeting decided to initiate legal action against them, he said. Owner of Progati Leather, Hazi Muhammad Nurul Alam thanked the government initiative and said, It is very much essential to relocate tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar. We need the governments cooperation in this regard. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Paribesh Bachao Andolan questioned the government as to why no action has been taken against tannery owners who have failed to relocate their factories within the stipulated time. They also demanded that utility services like electricity, gas and water connections to tannery factories in Hazaribagh be snapped immediately. Abu Naser Khan of POBA said, There is dire need to relocate the factories. People in the entire area of Hazaribagh and Kamrangirchar face a real health risk. Water bodies and environment has turned poisonous due to discharge of untreated waste from these tanneries. In 2003, the authorities had decided to shift the tanneries as they had virtually turned the Buriganga into a pool of septic water, with untreated waste from over 200 local tanneries being dumped into the river.