DoE lacks concrete data on ETP

The Department of Environment (DoE) has no idea which factories have set up effluent treatment plants (ETP) and which have not done so. However, it has identified around 290 factories in the ‘red’ category’ those that are seriously polluting the environment. In the 2015–16 fiscal year, the DoE enforcement wing fined 245 factories around Tk 24 crore for polluting the environment and wetlands across the country. According to DoE sources, over 40 per cent industrial units are operating without ETPs. As a result, the country’s wetlands, farmlands, flora and fauna, and the environment are at risk due to untreated wastes that are being dumped indiscriminately from these industrial units.
The DoE has virtually failed to protect the country’s environment and its ecology by implementing the Environment Conservation Act 1995 (amended 2010), green activists allege. “We've no exact data on industrial units that have not installed ETPs. We're working on it now,” DoE director Syed Nazmul Ahsan told The Independent.
He blamed it on the shortage of manpower. “We've offices in 21 districts out of the total 64. Only 400 among the approved 700 posts in the DoE are filled right now. It’s difficult to check pollution with this kind of manpower,” Qazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, additional director general of DoE, said.
The DoE has proposed that its manpower should be increased to 1,600, but the government has approved only 172, he added.
There is a lack of inspectors and laboratory chemists in the DoE, he said.
“It's true that many factories have no ETP. Some factory owners don't even run the ETPs despite installing it in their factories. We're serving notices and taking action through mobile courts,” Hashmi said in reply to a query.
Apartment owners do not need the environmental clearance certificate (ECC) for construction of buildings up to six storeys, he said.
“We've fined 239 factories Tk. 23.86 crore in all in the 2015-16 fiscal year. A total of Tk. 10.22 crore has been realized from the fine,” Anwar Hossain Howlader, director (monitoring and enforcement) of the DoE, told The Independent.
The DoE needs dynamic officers to implement the Environment Conservation Act to prevent pollution, said Abdus Sobhan, general secretary of Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA). “It's very sad that the DoE has no data on ETP. It just shows that it's not working properly," he added.

DoE lacks concrete data on ETP

The Department of Environment (DoE) has no idea which factories have set up effluent treatment plants (ETP) and which have not done so. However, it has identified around 290 factories in the red category those that are seriously polluting the environment. In the 201516 fiscal year, the DoE enforcement wing fined 245 factories around Tk 24 crore for polluting the environment and wetlands across the country. According to DoE sources, over 40 per cent industrial units are operating without ETPs. As a result, the countrys wetlands, farmlands, flora and fauna, and the environment are at risk due to untreated wastes that are being dumped indiscriminately from these industrial units. The DoE has virtually failed to protect the countrys environment and its ecology by implementing the Environment Conservation Act 1995 (amended 2010), green activists allege. Weve no exact data on industrial units that have not installed ETPs. Were working on it now, DoE director Syed Nazmul Ahsan told The Independent. He blamed it on the shortage of manpower. Weve offices in 21 districts out of the total 64. Only 400 among the approved 700 posts in the DoE are filled right now. Its difficult to check pollution with this kind of manpower, Qazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, additional director general of DoE, said. The DoE has proposed that its manpower should be increased to 1,600, but the government has approved only 172, he added. There is a lack of inspectors and laboratory chemists in the DoE, he said. Its true that many factories have no ETP. Some factory owners dont even run the ETPs despite installing it in their factories. Were serving notices and taking action through mobile courts, Hashmi said in reply to a query. Apartment owners do not need the environmental clearance certificate (ECC) for construction of buildings up to six storeys, he said. Weve fined 239 factories Tk. 23.86 crore in all in the 2015-16 fiscal year. A total of Tk. 10.22 crore has been realized from the fine, Anwar Hossain Howlader, director (monitoring and enforcement) of the DoE, told The Independent. The DoE needs dynamic officers to implement the Environment Conservation Act to prevent pollution, said Abdus Sobhan, general secretary of Poribesh Bachao Andolan (POBA). Its very sad that the DoE has no data on ETP. It just shows that its not working properly, he added.