Chittagong Bureau :
Unhindered dumping of toxic chemicals and solid wastes of the mills, factories and household debris into the water of river Karnaphuli from the riverside industrial units in Chittagong going worsening the pollution of river Karnaphuli, the lifeline of country’s economy.
Chittagong Port is located on the bank of Karanaphuli. Rampant pollution of the river puts the future of Chittagong Port in risk.
The locals and environment activists were demanding to save the river from pollution for long time. The authorities, however, have taken some measures to make the river Karnaphuli pollution free.
The Department of Environment is conducting raids on the river Karnaphuli and taking action against the organizations who are involved with pollution of Karnaphuli.
Meanwhile, former mayor and President of Chittagong City Awami League A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury demanded to compel the industries to set up garbage treatment plant in every industry to resist the pollution of river Karnaphuli.
In a statement, Mohiuddin Chowdhury said, without saving Karnaphuli from pollution country’s economy and Chittagong port could not be saved. Without saving Halda, the sweet water in Chittagong and brooding of fishes will be hampered, he pointed out.
Environmentalists observed that industrial waste from 720 categories of different industrial units that stretches from its estuary at Chandra Ghona in Kaptai and multiplied by kitchen stuffs, discharged by the 40 lakh people of the port city are directly dumped into the river.
According to the Department of Environment, more than 350 metric tons of toxic wastes are being drained to the river Karnaphuli a day. Karnaphuli Paper and Rayon Mills are allegedly discharging on an average 1050 cubic meter of toxic wastes in to the river a day.
Sources said, the industries which discharge toxic waste into the marine water include 19 tanneries, 26 textiles, one oil refinery, a Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer plant, two chemical industries, five fisheries processing units, 5 pesticide industries, four dying factories, Karnaphuli Urea Fertilizer factory (KAFCO), Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd (CUFL), Asphalt Bitumen plant, four cement factories, Karnaphuli Paper Mills and Karnaphuli Rayon Mills.
According to the sources, even 1.5 lakh liter of crude waste from the tannery industries and 35 tons of China clay, four tons of fibers from KPM and Karnaphuli Rayon Mills are dumped into the river and directly fall into the coastal and marine water every day.
A recent survey carried out by Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) under the financial and technical assistance from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations revealed that approximately 100 species of fish had disappeared from the country’s water territory withthe impact of pollution of Karnaphuli and Halda river.
Unhindered dumping of toxic chemicals and solid wastes of the mills, factories and household debris into the water of river Karnaphuli from the riverside industrial units in Chittagong going worsening the pollution of river Karnaphuli, the lifeline of country’s economy.
Chittagong Port is located on the bank of Karanaphuli. Rampant pollution of the river puts the future of Chittagong Port in risk.
The locals and environment activists were demanding to save the river from pollution for long time. The authorities, however, have taken some measures to make the river Karnaphuli pollution free.
The Department of Environment is conducting raids on the river Karnaphuli and taking action against the organizations who are involved with pollution of Karnaphuli.
Meanwhile, former mayor and President of Chittagong City Awami League A B M Mohiuddin Chowdhury demanded to compel the industries to set up garbage treatment plant in every industry to resist the pollution of river Karnaphuli.
In a statement, Mohiuddin Chowdhury said, without saving Karnaphuli from pollution country’s economy and Chittagong port could not be saved. Without saving Halda, the sweet water in Chittagong and brooding of fishes will be hampered, he pointed out.
Environmentalists observed that industrial waste from 720 categories of different industrial units that stretches from its estuary at Chandra Ghona in Kaptai and multiplied by kitchen stuffs, discharged by the 40 lakh people of the port city are directly dumped into the river.
According to the Department of Environment, more than 350 metric tons of toxic wastes are being drained to the river Karnaphuli a day. Karnaphuli Paper and Rayon Mills are allegedly discharging on an average 1050 cubic meter of toxic wastes in to the river a day.
Sources said, the industries which discharge toxic waste into the marine water include 19 tanneries, 26 textiles, one oil refinery, a Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer plant, two chemical industries, five fisheries processing units, 5 pesticide industries, four dying factories, Karnaphuli Urea Fertilizer factory (KAFCO), Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd (CUFL), Asphalt Bitumen plant, four cement factories, Karnaphuli Paper Mills and Karnaphuli Rayon Mills.
According to the sources, even 1.5 lakh liter of crude waste from the tannery industries and 35 tons of China clay, four tons of fibers from KPM and Karnaphuli Rayon Mills are dumped into the river and directly fall into the coastal and marine water every day.
A recent survey carried out by Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) under the financial and technical assistance from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations revealed that approximately 100 species of fish had disappeared from the country’s water territory withthe impact of pollution of Karnaphuli and Halda river.
