DoE Punishes 23 Errant Factories
Department of Environment officials, led by Director Begum Rubina Ferdousi, conducting a drive yesterday to disconnect the utility connections of 23 dyeing and steel re-rolling factories in the capital’s Kadamtali and Shyampur for polluting the Buriganga river and the air.
The Department of Environment yesterday disconnected utility connections of 23 dyeing factories and steel re-rolling mills in the capital’s Kadamtali and Shyampur for polluting the Buriganga river and the air.
The drive, led by Director (monitoring and enforcement) of DoE Begum Rubina Ferdousi, also fined seven steel re-rolling mills Tk 1 lakh each for polluting the air.
The drive began at 11:30am and continued until 3:30pm in which representatives of Rab, police, Wasa, Desa, and Titas took part.
“We conducted the drive against the dyeing factories and the steel re-rolling mills as they did not have ETPs [effluent treatment plants] and environmental clearances from the DoE,” said Rubina.
The drive is going on in compliance with High Court orders and it will continue against all such 231 industries in Dhaka, she added.
“We severed electricity and water connections of 23 factories. Gas connections of six of them were also severed,” the DoE director said.
“If these factories and mills sought the DoE for environmental clearance certificates after fulfilling all necessary requirements, we will restore their lines,” she added.
On January 20, the HC directed the DoE to immediately shut down all 231 industries in Dhaka metropolitan area near the Buriganga.
The court asked Wasa, Titas, and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd to disconnect water, gas, and electricity supply to the illegal industries.
It also directed the DoE to submit a report to the court by February 20 after complying with the directive.
The court further ordered the DoE to submit a detailed report within the next three months on the industries and organisations in the Dhaka metropolitan area which have no environmental clearances.
The HC ordered the local administration to stop dumping waste into the Buriganga and submit a report before the court by February 20.
The bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the directives during the hearing on a writ petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
On December 8 last year, the HC also ordered the DoE to close all industries, factories, and other structures on the river, which were running without the DoE approval and were polluting the river.
The drive, led by Director (monitoring and enforcement) of DoE Begum Rubina Ferdousi, also fined seven steel re-rolling mills Tk 1 lakh each for polluting the air.
The drive began at 11:30am and continued until 3:30pm in which representatives of Rab, police, Wasa, Desa, and Titas took part.
“We conducted the drive against the dyeing factories and the steel re-rolling mills as they did not have ETPs [effluent treatment plants] and environmental clearances from the DoE,” said Rubina.
The drive is going on in compliance with High Court orders and it will continue against all such 231 industries in Dhaka, she added.
“We severed electricity and water connections of 23 factories. Gas connections of six of them were also severed,” the DoE director said.
“If these factories and mills sought the DoE for environmental clearance certificates after fulfilling all necessary requirements, we will restore their lines,” she added.
On January 20, the HC directed the DoE to immediately shut down all 231 industries in Dhaka metropolitan area near the Buriganga.
The court asked Wasa, Titas, and Dhaka Power Distribution Company Ltd to disconnect water, gas, and electricity supply to the illegal industries.
It also directed the DoE to submit a report to the court by February 20 after complying with the directive.
The court further ordered the DoE to submit a detailed report within the next three months on the industries and organisations in the Dhaka metropolitan area which have no environmental clearances.
The HC ordered the local administration to stop dumping waste into the Buriganga and submit a report before the court by February 20.
The bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the directives during the hearing on a writ petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
On December 8 last year, the HC also ordered the DoE to close all industries, factories, and other structures on the river, which were running without the DoE approval and were polluting the river.
