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Tannery relocation needs more time

Industries ministry says HC's 8-month deadline not enough

SHAKILAWAT LnON and RASHIDUL HASAN
Uncertainty looms large over relocation of tanneries in Hazaribagh within the next eight months, a deadline given by the High Court, as the industries ministry yesterday said at least 18 months will be needed to complete the job.
Being apprised of the present state of the government's move to relocate the tanneries to Savar from Hazaribagh, a parliamentary body yesterday observed it might not be possible to relocate the tanneries even in 18 months. It said
legal and financial complexities over setting up of a central effluent treatment plant (ETP) have been raised and these could delay the move.
"It is not wise to wait for eight months. The condition of the Buriganga is so bad that even bacteria cannot survive there," said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chief of the parliamentary sub-committee formed by the parliamentary standing committee on environment and forest ministry to find out causes for river pollution and recommend solutions. Referring to a verdict delivered in 2001, the High Court Tuesday ordered relocation of the tanneries within February 28 next year and asked to shut down the tanneries that fail to move.
Saber said 3,000 tonnes of solid waste and 2.5 lakh tonnes of liquid waste generated by tanneries every month have been dumped into the rivers without any treatment
"Under such dreadful circumstances, we are going to recommend immediate legal actions against tanneries causing serious environment pollution. If necessary, the tanneries should be shut down as per the law," Saber asserted.
He said the sub-committee was informed by the industries ministry that at least 18 months will be required to relocate the tanneries while the High Court ordered to do the job in the next eight months.
The officials of the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) supervising the relocation of the tanneries also informed the committee about the legal and financial complexities of the relocation.
They said the tender process to set up the central ETP at Savar at a cost of around Tk 400 crore was yet to complete as one bidder filed a case with a court.
About financial complexities, the officials said as per the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) singed between the government and the tanners association, the government was supposed to bear the expenditure for selling up the central ETP
The MoU was reviewed during the last caretaker government that incorporated a new provision asking the tanners association to repay the cost in the next 20 years, the BSCIC officials said.
The owners, however, refused to share the cost saying most of them are not capable of paying for the central ETP
In defence of taking stem actions against industries polluting the environment. Saber, also ruling Awami League lawmaker, said as per a report of the World Bank prepared in 2006. the country lost four percent of GDP due to environment pollution everyyear.
Besides, a study of department of environment disclosed around 10,000 people died on various diseases caused by pollution.
"Which one is important to us--savinglives or saving employment?" Saber said replying io a query whether many would lose jobs if tanneries were closed down.
At the meeting of the parliamentary sub-committee, officials of the BIWTA said a 10-feet solid layer of polythene has formed on the Buriganga riverbed between Sadarghal and Mitford and it is not possible to dredge live river there using conventional dredgingmachines.
"Special equipment are needed to dredge the river. Experts can say the nature of the special equipment," Saber said. The parliamentary subcommittee observed that nobody is sincerely caring for the rivers as many are engaged with other jobs. The land ministry is the owner of the rivers, BIWTA of shipping ministry’ looks after the managerial job. and environment ministry oversees the environmental aspect he said.
"We feel the need to set up a single river authority that will take all responsibilities for the rivers," Saber asserted.
As per the sub-committec's earlier suggestion, he said the BIWTA wrote to the law ministry seeking their opinion about treat -ing the offence of encroaching rivers as criminal offence with stem punishment, instead of civil offence.
Sub-committee member Ghyasuddin Ahmed proposed formation of a river police unit to fight theencroachers.
ENVIRONMENT I’OLLUTERS
The parliamentary body held Dhaka City Corporation (DCO. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) responsible for environment and river pollution along with different industries. And the three organisations cannot perform their duties according to the people's expectation, it said
About the DCC, Saber said die local government body does not know how much waste is being generated every day in thecity
"We came to know that 7,(MX) tonnes of waste is generated every day in (he city and ii Is supposed io dump the waste at two points in the capital But the employees of the DCC do not dump them at the specified spots to steal fuel of garbage trucks," Saber said.
On Rajuk. the parliamentary body observed that the organisation is not interested in supervising the construction of buildings to ensure that the buildings are being build as per design, rather officials of Rajuk are very interested in developmentwork.
Saber said the government's moral duty is to make sure that its own organisations are not polluting the environment
"Had tiie government organisations protected public interests, then the public interest litigation would not have been filed with the High Court. "Saber said.
He said the parliamentary body would also seek experts' opinion and hold public hearing before preparing recommendations to save rivers from pollution. LANDSECRETARY Annoyed by the absence of the land secretary, the parliamentary body yesterday decided to issue a notice upon him asking him to explain his failure to show up al (he meeting despite being asked to attend.
The sub-committee asked land Secretary Dclwar Hossain to attend (he committee's meeting yesterday at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Talking to The Daily Star over telephone sub-committee member Ekabbar Hossain said the committee asked the Parliament Secretariat to send a letter to Deiwar asking him to explain his failure to attend the meeting.