News Desk :
As the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate lacks adequate waste treatment facilities, the Department of Environment (DoE) has asked the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) chairman why the Industrial Zone should not be shut down.
The DoE sent a letter to BSCIC Chairman Md Mostaque Hasan on Thursday, asking him to come up with a clear explanation by September 20 in this regard.
The Department came up with the move following the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to close down the complex on a priority basis.
It is also recommended to collect maximum compensation through fines before the closure.
The parliamentary body made the recommendation on August 23 after inspecting the area and observing that the industrial zone lacks adequate waste treatment facilities.
The estate has the capacity to treat around 25,000 cubic metres of liquid waste per day, but the tanners generate around 40,000 cubic metres of liquid waste every day, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chief of the parliamentary watchdog, told the media.
The remaining 15,000 cubic metres of waste are dumped into the Dhaleshwari River without any treatment, causing severe pollution, he added.
The parliamentary panel suggested reopening the estate if the right steps are taken to manage the pollution and waste it generates in accordance with the relevant law.
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