THE government's inordinate delay in relocating around 200 tannery units from Hazarbagh to Savar is causing serious environmental and health hazards to a large number of people.

Protests from environment advocacy groups, the media and citizens have fallen on deaf ears of the government and tannery owners.

After several extensions of time to relocate the tanneries, at one stage the HC in June 2009 ordered the government either to shift the tanneries to the new location or shut them down by February 2010. Even so they did not budge an inch.

A Chinese company has got the go ahead to install a Tk. 500 crore Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). It has to complete the work within 15 months since March 2012.

We see a hopeful sign here of relocation and installation of CETP to go hand in hand. The government must put pressure on the tanneries to start the relocation process.

The endless foot-dragging of the government over implementing court order compounded by apathy of the tannery owners to shift their units cannot be accepted anymore. The government's utter callousness over the issue is encouraging the tannery owners to maintain status quo, while local inhabitants continue to suffer.

The situation has reached such a critical stage that even international concern has been raised over it. The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its recent report has pointed to how workers' rights are being ignored and irreversible damage wreaked on the environment and public health by these industries.

Any further delay by the government in the matter will be a disservice. We don't want to hear any more excuse either from the government or the tannery owners.

Indeed, it is an issue of grave public concern on which we want to see urgent, energetic and concrete action.