Work on Savar ETPs yet to complete

Owners given 7 more days to shift tanneries; not possible before July, says BTA

Work on the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate is still continuing, while 56 tannery owners have only constructed 1-5 storied structures with only the top cover. There are no walls or machinery and other paraphernalia inside. The other tannery owners have just begun construction work or only demarcated their plots with boundary walls. This is the present state of the tannery village, where 205 tanneries are to be shifted from Hazaribagh to save the  Burignaga river from being polluted by untreated chemical wastes discharged by the tanneries. Green activists have demanded that the government stop utility services provided to the tanneries, and even cancel their plots unless they move to Savar. It also sought a fine of Tk. 2,500 crore under the Environment Conservation Act 1995 for causing damage to the environment.
The government had set June 2015 as the deadline for shifting the factories to the Savar Tannery Industrial City from Hazaribagh. But not a single unit had moved to Savar. Deadlines have been extended several times in the last decade, the latest deadline being March 31 this year. As the March 31 deadline passed, the government enforced a ban on the entry of raw hide and skin to Hazaribagh for processing from April 1.
Against this backdrop, the government has given seven more days to shift the tanneries to Savar.
Industries minister Amir Hossain Amu was supposed to visit the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate today (Tuesday), but it was postponed, ministry sources said.
 According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) sources, installation of the CETP is being delayed due to various reasons, including problem with the Chinese contractor. Only two units of the CETP has been completed and the remaining ones are being built at a very slow pace, sources added.
 “It will require time till June-July to complete the construction work of tanneries and the CETP. We hope the minister will take a decision after visiting the site,” Md Shakhawat Ullah, general secretary of the Bangladesh Tanners’ Association (BTA), told The Independent.
The tannery owners have realised that because of the tough stand taken by the government in prohibiting the entry of raw hide to Hazaribagh, they will not be able to run their business from Hazaribagh anymore and would have to shift to Savar, he said in reply to a query.
It will be impossible to relocate the tanneries before July, the BTA leader said, adding that it would need four more months to relocate the units.
In all, 28 tannery owners are setting up tanning drums, though the construction work on electricity sub-stations is yet to be completed. Besides, screening lines of wastes is yet to be connected with the main pipe. Demand notes have been issued against 85 tanneries for depositing money to get electricity connections, while 53 have applied for gas connections and 35 for water connections, sources said. “We are not only disappointed, but also aggrieved by seeing the work on the CETP moving at a very slow pace. Operating the CETP won’t be possible unless all the tanneries start functioning at Savar ,” Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andalan (POBA), told The Independent.
The tanneries are not environment-friendly, he said. They have to maintain environment rules to avoid coming under an export embargo. “We demand legal action against the department concerned for not implementing the project, including installation of the CETP, within the stipulated time. Legal action should also be taken against the tannery owners in Hazaribagh for violating government order,” Khan said. On January 10, industries minister Amir Hossain Amu had asked tannery owners to shift their units within 72 hours and directed the authorities to serve legal notices. About 205 plots at Savar have been allocated to tannery owners, and the BSCIC has disbursed Tk. 60 crore, from the approved Tk. 250 crore, to the owners as compensation.

Work on Savar ETPs yet to complete

Owners given 7 more days to shift tanneries; not possible before July, says BTA

Work on the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate is still continuing, while 56 tannery owners have only constructed 1-5 storied structures with only the top cover. There are no walls or machinery and other paraphernalia inside. The other tannery owners have just begun construction work or only demarcated their plots with boundary walls. This is the present state of the tannery village, where 205 tanneries are to be shifted from Hazaribagh to save the Burignaga river from being polluted by untreated chemical wastes discharged by the tanneries. Green activists have demanded that the government stop utility services provided to the tanneries, and even cancel their plots unless they move to Savar. It also sought a fine of Tk. 2,500 crore under the Environment Conservation Act 1995 for causing damage to the environment. The government had set June 2015 as the deadline for shifting the factories to the Savar Tannery Industrial City from Hazaribagh. But not a single unit had moved to Savar. Deadlines have been extended several times in the last decade, the latest deadline being March 31 this year. As the March 31 deadline passed, the government enforced a ban on the entry of raw hide and skin to Hazaribagh for processing from April 1. Against this backdrop, the government has given seven more days to shift the tanneries to Savar. Industries minister Amir Hossain Amu was supposed to visit the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate today (Tuesday), but it was postponed, ministry sources said. According to Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) sources, installation of the CETP is being delayed due to various reasons, including problem with the Chinese contractor. Only two units of the CETP has been completed and the remaining ones are being built at a very slow pace, sources added. It will require time till June-July to complete the construction work of tanneries and the CETP. We hope the minister will take a decision after visiting the site, Md Shakhawat Ullah, general secretary of the Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA), told The Independent. The tannery owners have realised that because of the tough stand taken by the government in prohibiting the entry of raw hide to Hazaribagh, they will not be able to run their business from Hazaribagh anymore and would have to shift to Savar, he said in reply to a query. It will be impossible to relocate the tanneries before July, the BTA leader said, adding that it would need four more months to relocate the units. In all, 28 tannery owners are setting up tanning drums, though the construction work on electricity sub-stations is yet to be completed. Besides, screening lines of wastes is yet to be connected with the main pipe. Demand notes have been issued against 85 tanneries for depositing money to get electricity connections, while 53 have applied for gas connections and 35 for water connections, sources said. We are not only disappointed, but also aggrieved by seeing the work on the CETP moving at a very slow pace. Operating the CETP wont be possible unless all the tanneries start functioning at Savar , Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andalan (POBA), told The Independent. The tanneries are not environment-friendly, he said. They have to maintain environment rules to avoid coming under an export embargo. We demand legal action against the department concerned for not implementing the project, including installation of the CETP, within the stipulated time. Legal action should also be taken against the tannery owners in Hazaribagh for violating government order, Khan said. On January 10, industries minister Amir Hossain Amu had asked tannery owners to shift their units within 72 hours and directed the authorities to serve legal notices. About 205 plots at Savar have been allocated to tannery owners, and the BSCIC has disbursed Tk. 60 crore, from the approved Tk. 250 crore, to the owners as compensation.