Anisul Islam Noor :
About 757 industries and factories in the country have not obtained environmental clearance certificates (ECE) from the Department of Environment. Even they have not set up Environment Treatment Plant (ETP) in violation of rules, survey found.
National Board of Revenue (NBR) has finalized the list of those industries which have not taken environment clearance certificates in violation of provision incorporated in the Finance Act 2014. NBR will realize one percent additional surcharge for default.
NBR chairman Nazibur Rahman said, “The list of the industries has already been published. We shall now sit with the finance ministry to get the order to realize the environment surcharge.
There are 159 such industries in Dhaka city, 574 in Dhaka division, 137 in Chittagong, 24 in Rajshahi, and 22 in Khulna, which have been identified for polluting environment. Among those industries, 200 are related to tannery sector and others to garment, dying, cement and ice cream related industries and factories.
The remarkable industries are Crown Cement Concrete and Building Product Limited, Mir Akhter Hossain Limited, One Denim Mills Limited, Pacific Fiber Corporation Limited, Meghna Fresh Tea, Meghna Condensed Milk, Igloo Foods Limited, Johny Textile Limited, Asian Fabrics Limited, Partex Denim Limited, Bangladesh Thai Aluminium Limited, BD Sea Food Limited, Abul Bidi, Jaba-e-Nur Washing and Dying Limited, Khulna Board Mills Limited, Bristol Pharmaceutical Limited, Modern Cosmetic and Herbal Industries Limited. Many of those industries pollute river because these industries have no Environment Treatment Plant despite provision in the Environment Act.
Director of Environment Directorate of Dhaka Md Taufiqul Arif said, as the number of industries is highest in Dhaka region, pollution also maximum. For violating law, the industries will be liable to punishment or payment of surcharge as the case may be.
