Rivers being poisoned to death

Tannery units in Savar add to pollution woes

The rivers Dhaleshwari and Bangshi, whose pristine waters once flowed in the north of Dhaka, are almost destined to meet the sad fate of the Buriganga, with the industrial effluents being released into them inevitably slow-poisoning the rivers to death. Garments and dyeing factories are the main culprits. The recent shift of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar, a place 20km north of Dhaka and located by the banks of the Dhaleshwari, has only worsened the situation. The complete shifting of tanneries, however, is yet to take place. Around 35 out of the 155 have shifted to Savar so far.
Although tanneries being shifted to Savar have a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) to treat raw wastes, a report by the forests and environment ministry recently confirmed the allegations raised by different green groups. Ministry inspectors carried out investigations and found that the tanneries have been dumping their wastes into the rivers. This has been corroborated by experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
Locals allege that the Dhaleshwari, once rich in fish and bio-diversity, has become so polluted that almost no marine life exists there anymore. This has jeopardised the livelihoods of many fishermen, who must find work elsewhere for survival. The waters of the Dhaleshwari and other nearby rivers, such as the Bangshi, are marked by the presence of chromium, cadmium, sulphuric acid and paints. The ministry inspectors also found a high level of salinity in the waters.
The biggest irony is that the shift of the tanneries was trumpeted as an environment-friendly step by the government when it started to force them to relocate to the new leather complex being built by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC)
in Savar.
The ministry report found several factors responsible for the moribund state of the river:
Non-implementation of CETP
The Chinese company DCL-JV was awarded the contract to build the CETP, the most important part of the new leather complex, to treat the raw wastes before releasing them into the river. But the Chinese company
had been dumping untreated wastes into the Dhaleshwari, said the ministry report.
When asked for a clarification, the Chinese company said it needed special pipes to build the CETP. The pipes arrived in 18 containers, but remained stuck in the Chittagong port for over a year uncleared, the company explained.
“It needs to be mentioned here that a consultant group comprising 10 BUET professors described the pipes as being of low quality and hence the delay in clearing them in the Chittagong port. The Chinese company, however, denied the allegation. The industries ministry has failed to resolve the issue in the past one year,” the ministry report mentioned.
When asked why saline water is being released directly into the rivers, the BSCIC and the Chinese company said the agreement that was signed with them did not contain any clause for treating saline water. For that, a different project should be taken up to perform the ‘reverse osmosis’ process to filter the water, they said.
Chromium
Another problem that startled the inspectors was the lack of filtering chromium, one of the major ingredient of tanning. The CETP at the Savar leather complex was basically a chromium-cleaning plant. All tanneries there have been designed to install underground drainage systems to release their chromium wastes through one drain and other wastes through another pipe.
“But the tannery owners are not cooperating on this. They were releasing all liquid wastes through the single pipe or drain. This often clogs the drains and puts the leather complex authority and the CETP in trouble,” according to the report.
Nepotism
It was learnt from different sources that there had been nepotism in allocating plots in the leather complex when executed war criminal Matiur Rahman Nijami was the minister of industries. Many of the plot owners were either followers of the Jamaat-Islami or the BNP. They are allegedly conspiring to hinder the economic progress envisioned by Prime Minister

Sheikh Hasina.
Some of these plot owners are getting help from foreign powers, the report said, adding that they would only cooperate with the AL-led government if their lands in Hazaribagh are confiscated and used in public interest like building playgrounds or parks. Dumping of solid wastes into rivers
The report found that solid wastes, such as cut pieces of meat and fat, were being dumped into the rivers. It is also causing problems for the CETP and clogging its drains and pipes.
Some of these cut pieces are allegedly being separated and sold to unscrupulous elements, who, in turn, are processing into them chicken and fish meal—a notorious practice among Hazaribagh tanneries, which was stopped after the RAB raided the tanneries following newspaper reports. The tanneries have reverted to their old habit in Savar.
Asked about the situation, Anwar Hossain Manju, the minister for environment and forests, told The Independent that the authorities concerned would take care of the problems.

 

 

Rivers being poisoned to death

Tannery units in Savar add to pollution woes

The rivers Dhaleshwari and Bangshi, whose pristine waters once flowed in the north of Dhaka, are almost destined to meet the sad fate of the Buriganga, with the industrial effluents being released into them inevitably slow-poisoning the rivers to death. Garments and dyeing factories are the main culprits. The recent shift of tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar, a place 20km north of Dhaka and located by the banks of the Dhaleshwari, has only worsened the situation. The complete shifting of tanneries, however, is yet to take place. Around 35 out of the 155 have shifted to Savar so far. Although tanneries being shifted to Savar have a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) to treat raw wastes, a report by the forests and environment ministry recently confirmed the allegations raised by different green groups. Ministry inspectors carried out investigations and found that the tanneries have been dumping their wastes into the rivers. This has been corroborated by experts from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Locals allege that the Dhaleshwari, once rich in fish and bio-diversity, has become so polluted that almost no marine life exists there anymore. This has jeopardised the livelihoods of many fishermen, who must find work elsewhere for survival. The waters of the Dhaleshwari and other nearby rivers, such as the Bangshi, are marked by the presence of chromium, cadmium, sulphuric acid and paints. The ministry inspectors also found a high level of salinity in the waters. The biggest irony is that the shift of the tanneries was trumpeted as an environment-friendly step by the government when it started to force them to relocate to the new leather complex being built by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Savar. The ministry report found several factors responsible for the moribund state of the river: Non-implementation of CETP The Chinese company DCL-JV was awarded the contract to build the CETP, the most important part of the new leather complex, to treat the raw wastes before releasing them into the river. But the Chinese company had been dumping untreated wastes into the Dhaleshwari, said the ministry report. When asked for a clarification, the Chinese company said it needed special pipes to build the CETP. The pipes arrived in 18 containers, but remained stuck in the Chittagong port for over a year uncleared, the company explained. It needs to be mentioned here that a consultant group comprising 10 BUET professors described the pipes as being of low quality and hence the delay in clearing them in the Chittagong port. The Chinese company, however, denied the allegation. The industries ministry has failed to resolve the issue in the past one year, the ministry report mentioned. When asked why saline water is being released directly into the rivers, the BSCIC and the Chinese company said the agreement that was signed with them did not contain any clause for treating saline water. For that, a different project should be taken up to perform the reverse osmosis process to filter the water, they said. Chromium Another problem that startled the inspectors was the lack of filtering chromium, one of the major ingredient of tanning. The CETP at the Savar leather complex was basically a chromium-cleaning plant. All tanneries there have been designed to install underground drainage systems to release their chromium wastes through one drain and other wastes through another pipe. But the tannery owners are not cooperating on this. They were releasing all liquid wastes through the single pipe or drain. This often clogs the drains and puts the leather complex authority and the CETP in trouble, according to the report. Nepotism It was learnt from different sources that there had been nepotism in allocating plots in the leather complex when executed war criminal Matiur Rahman Nijami was the minister of industries. Many of the plot owners were either followers of the Jamaat-Islami or the BNP. They are allegedly conspiring to hinder the economic progress envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Some of these plot owners are getting help from foreign powers, the report said, adding that they would only cooperate with the AL-led government if their lands in Hazaribagh are confiscated and used in public interest like building playgrounds or parks. Dumping of solid wastes into rivers The report found that solid wastes, such as cut pieces of meat and fat, were being dumped into the rivers. It is also causing problems for the CETP and clogging its drains and pipes. Some of these cut pieces are allegedly being separated and sold to unscrupulous elements, who, in turn, are processing into them chicken and fish meala notorious practice among Hazaribagh tanneries, which was stopped after the RAB raided the tanneries following newspaper reports. The tanneries have reverted to their old habit in Savar. Asked about the situation, Anwar Hossain Manju, the minister for environment and forests, told The Independent that the authorities concerned would take care of the problems.