[🇧🇩] Save the Rivers/Forests/Hills-----Save the Environment

Govt committed to ensuring best use of climate budget: Rizwana

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasised the government's commitment to ensuring the best use of the climate budget.

Rizwana, also adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, highlighted several critical issues in climate governance and Bangladesh's priorities.

She was speaking at a seminar titled "Global Climate Negotiation Challenges and Priorities for Bangladesh" organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in the capital today.

The adviser noted that the guidelines for allocating the Climate Change Trust Fund have been updated, with funds distributed more cautiously than ever.

She also stressed that international climate funds must be utilised properly to achieve meaningful outcomes. Ongoing efforts aim to identify priority sectors for climate investments. However, she warned that without reducing carbon emissions, global environmental damage cannot be mitigated, regardless of increased spending.

The adviser highlighted that various initiatives are being implemented to address Bangladesh's environmental challenges.

"We must rethink development strategies. If rivers and canals are filled, how can adaptation efforts succeed? Abandoning a consumerist lifestyle is necessary," she remarked.

She added that a task force has been formed to control air pollution, which will soon begin its activities. Measures are also being taken against polluters, and the use of single-use plastics is being discouraged.

Rizwana called for a focus on enhancing resilience, securing adequate adaptation funding, and ensuring transparency in fulfilling global commitments. She also urged equitable negotiations at global forums to amplify the voices of vulnerable communities and ensure developed nations fulfil their financial and technological commitments.

The seminar featured insights from key speakers, including Ambassador AFM Gousal Azam Sarker, Chairman of BIISS, and Major General Iftekhar Anis, Director General of BIISS.

The seminar brought together policymakers, researchers, climate experts, and diplomats to discuss pressing issues, including inadequate climate finance, slow progress on loss and damage mechanisms, and the need for stronger mitigation targets from major emitters.​

Air pollution: Old, polluting buses in Dhaka to be scrapped
Says Environment Adviser Rizwana


Photo: BSS

Old and polluting buses in Dhaka will be scrapped to reduce the air pollution in the capital, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said today.

"People in Dhaka cannot continue to suffer and die from air pollution. The interests of a few cannot outweigh the health of the entire population. Bus owners must take immediate action," she said at a discussion meeting at the Bidyut Bhaban.

The event focused on strengthening discipline in the transport sector, reducing traffic congestion, and controlling air pollution in Dhaka.

She urged bus owners to take immediate action, noting that a taskforce has been formed to combat air pollution.

The task force will focus on reducing dust, repairing damaged roads, and strictly enforcing laws, she said adding efforts will also be made to cut pollution caused by black smoke, brick kilns, and industrial emissions, aligning with the Air Quality Management Plan.

The Adviser also mentioned plans to declare Ashulia a no-brick-kiln zone as part of measures to control air pollution.

Besides, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been approached to lower taxes on air purifiers, while steps will be taken to clear illegal encroachments from sidewalks.

The meeting was chaired by Md Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, and attended by senior officials, including Brig Gen (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Labor and Employment; Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; and Md Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser, leaders of the Bus Owners Association, City Corporation administrators, and other stakeholders were also present.​

CDA builds bamboo fence along Jamal Khan canal

Photo: Star

After seven months, the Chattogram Development Authority started building a bamboo fence along the bank of Jamal Khan canal in the Hem Sen Lane area of the port city.

The move came days after The Daily Star published a report on the issue, "Jamal Khan canal: A deathtrap lies waiting", on its website on Sunday.

According to locals, a portion of three buildings in the area were built occupying the land of the canal.

The CDA started an eviction drive to reclaim the land of the canal in the last week of January. Accordingly, the CDA mobile court dismantled the illegal portion of the buildings in the area during the drives.

CDA has been working in this canal as part of the mega project being implemented to address waterlogging.

According to locals, the work on the Jamal Khan canal stopped in April.

Lt Col Ferdous Ahmed, project director of the CDA mega project, said, "After getting information from your newspaper, I talked to the local sub-contractor of the project and instructed him to secure the exposed bank of the canal with a fence."

On Thursday, it was found that some workers were building a bamboo fence along the canal. However, locals said the fence seemed to be fragile and weak.

Ashraful Islam, a local, said, "It is a good step taken by the CDA authority but the fence seems to be too fragile... I doubt whether the fence can withstand a strong wind."

Asked, Ferdous said the fence was not a permanent solution. "We will start working on the canal very soon."

It is to be noted that at least 11 people were killed and many others injured by falling into unfenced canals and drains in Chattogram since 2017.​

Devising ways to obviate decline in green financing
Editorial
Published :
Dec 20, 2024 01:01
Updated :
Dec 20, 2024 01:01



The recent decline in green and sustainable financing by banks and financial institutions (FIs) poses a significant challenge to achieving environmental sustainability. While a handful of private banks have managed to maintain or even exceed their targets in funding green projects, the broader trend reveals a concerning drop in green financing across the banking sector. According to a report carried in the Financial Express (FE), green and sustainable financing witnessed a sharp decline in the third quarter of 2024 due to reduced loan disbursements. During the July-September period, banks contributed Tk 65.85 billion to green financing, marking a 5.64 per cent decrease compared to the previous quarter. Non-bank financial institutions fared even worse, with their contributions plummeting by a staggering 78.64 per cent to Tk 2.12 billion. Furthermore, a central bank report highlighted a contraction in overall sustainable finance, with banks disbursing Tk 1,042.4 billion-an 8.4 per cent drop from the preceding quarter-and FIs disbursing Tk 16.313 billion, down by 45.48 per cent.

Green financing refers to funding projects, industries, businesses, or technologies that prioritise environmental sustainability. In Bangladesh, it encompasses initiatives such as solar power, biogas, hydropower, wind power, waste management and recycling, organic farming, and other renewable energy projects. At its core, green finance is any structured financial activity designed to promote better environmental outcomes. It includes loans, debt instruments, and investments aimed at developing eco-friendly projects or mitigating the environmental impact of traditional ventures. Sustainable finance, which closely aligns with green financing, focuses on conducting business in ways that reduce carbon emissions and environmental footprints. Together, these financing approaches are essential for fostering a greener and more sustainable economy. The sharp decline in green financing can largely be attributed to sluggish business expansion and reduced loan disbursements. Bankers have pointed out that the lack of new business ventures during this period has significantly impacted green and sustainable finance. The slowdown underscores broader economic challenges that are hindering the growth of environment-focused investments.

It may be noted that the central bank has been proactive in encouraging green financing since 2009. It introduced a revolving refinance scheme of Tk 2.0 billion to support products like solar energy, biogas, and effluent treatment plants. Over time, this fund was expanded to Tk 4.0 billion to meet rising demand. In 2016, the Green Transformation Fund (GTF), a long-term refinancing scheme of $200 million, was launched to support sustainable growth in the export-oriented textile and leather sectors. Later, 200 million Euros were added to the fund to strengthen the country's green economy. Despite these efforts, the recent downturn in green financing highlights the need for renewed focus and policy intervention.

The decline in green financing signals a dual challenge: banks face higher risks in disbursing loans, and there is an urgent need to stimulate demand for green projects. To address these issues, policymakers and stakeholders must collaborate to create a more favourable environment for green investments. Banks and FIs need risk-mitigation mechanisms to encourage lending in environmentally sustainable projects. Enhanced guarantees, government subsidies or insurance for green investments could help alleviate concerns about potential defaults.​

Dhaka's struggle with air pollution
Shiabur Rahman
Published :
Dec 20, 2024 00:53
Updated :
Dec 20, 2024 00:53



Dhaka is often making headlines for ranking as the most polluted city in the world in the Air Quality Index (AQI). The air quality of the city of around 20 million people remains in the "very unhealthy" and "hazardous" categories around the year, but its pollution level reached catastrophic levels during the winter, leaving the metropolis in a suffocating state. Temperature inversions and increased emissions during the season result in the city's AQI often exceeding 300, far above the safe threshold of 50 in the index, which measures particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone levels.

The main contributors to Dhaka's air pollution are diverse, but they are interconnected. The number of vehicles in the city is increasing with every passing day and has already reached a million to cater to the needs of its burgeoning population. The exhaust from the vehicles, most of which are poorly maintained and lack proper emission controls, is a major source of pollution. Thousands of brick kilns surrounding Dhaka, which use outdated technology, burning coal and other polluting fuels, are another big contributor. According to studies, these kilns contribute nearly 60 per cent of Dhaka's PM2.5 pollution.

The rapid growth in urban population requires the city to construct more and more buildings and other establishments but the construction is not properly regulated. Such unregulated building practices and poorly maintained filthy roads generate massive amounts of dust, factories in and around the city emit pollutants, including particulate matter and toxic gases, while nonstandard waste management practices, such as the open burning of garbage, release harmful chemicals and particulates into air worsening its quality.

The impacts of the air pollution in Dhaka are immense. It not only causes an environmental catastrophe, but also takes a heavy toll on health of people and other animals living here and creates a socio-economic burden. According to the State of Global Air (SoGA) 2024 report, air pollution was responsible for over 235,000 deaths in Bangladesh in 2021, with a significant percentage occurring in Dhaka. Exposure to toxic air exacerbates respiratory diseases such as asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while long-term exposure causes lung cancer, impairs cognitive development in young population and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases in older people.

The economic loss of air pollution is staggering. According to the World Bank, Bangladesh's economic losses from air pollution were estimated between 3.9 per cent and 4.4 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019.

The government has implemented several initiatives to tackle air pollution. They include introducing compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles, promoting cleaner technologies for brick kilns, shifting polluting factories outside the capital, and lately encouraging use of electric vehicles. These efforts, however, have not yielded desired results, mainly due to weak enforcement of regulations, lack of coordination, and limited public awareness. Corruption and lack of accountability often allow polluters to evade regulations here.

Addressing Dhaka's air pollution crisis requires a multi-pronged approach involving government agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society. The government needs to strengthen regulatory frameworks and ensure strict enforcement of emissions standards for vehicles and industries, phase out outdated brick kiln technologies, and ban the open burning of waste.

It also requires promoting green urban planning, ensuring more green spaces in the city, introducing dust control measures at construction sites and roads, and replacing dilapidated buses with environment-friendly electric vehicles. Public awareness campaigns are necessary to educate citizens about the causes and consequences of air pollution, and encourage them to participate in initiatives like tree planting and waste management.​

Health Hazards caused by environment pollution: Public entities face no action
Rashad Ahamad 21 December, 2024, 00:28


Clockwise: Water without a lid is kept unprotected at a construction site at Gulistan, unprotected waterbody at Gulistan Park, dust covers the main road at Shyampur, water stagnates in potholes at Sayedabad in Dhaka. | New Age photo

Lack of concern about public health among government agencies and inaction of the monitoring agencies continue degrading environment, bringing harmful impact on the city dwellers, particularly the residents of Dhaka city.

In a latest instance, the environment, forest and climate change ministry on December 10 issued a rare warning about the hazardous air pollution in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, asking people to wear masks while going outdoors.

Not only air pollution, dengue and rampant water pollution are also taking toll on public health for which public agencies are significantly responsible.

But monitoring agencies hardly make public agencies accountable for their environment pollution, although at different times they have imposed penalties on private establishments and businesses for such offences.

Dilapidated roads and road digging for development works by different public agencies remain a constant source for air pollution, particularly in the capital and other cities. At the same time, water gathered in the potholes of the rundown roads and alleyways and also in the dug-up ground provides active breeding grounds for dengue vector Aedes mosquito.

In Dhaka city only, several hundred roads maintained by the South and North Dhaka city corporations remain derelict over the years becoming a source of constant acute air pollution, causing respiratory diseases and other health hazards.

Md Yasin Rana, a resident of Dakkhin Khan under the Dhaka North City Corporation, lamented their terrible suffering, saying that the dust-laden air, caused by the locality’s worn-out roads which had seen no retouch for years, triggered suffocation and itching and other problems in eyes, among other health hazards.

Anower Hossain, a trader having his clothing store around Shait-foot Road in Mirpur, also under Dhaka North City Corporation, also complained about similar health problem, adding that his goods got regularly damaged in the dust.

Burning of waste in the dumping grounds as well as biomass on the premises of different government offices in the capital also are among the active source of air pollution. Instead of managing waste in a fully systematic and safe way, Dhaka South and Dhaka North City Corporations staff burn garbage on road in the two dumping yards in the capital at Amin Bazar and Matuail, polluting air sometimes round the clock, creating choking smoke.

Many of the offices of the public agencies, including public hospitals, Bangladesh Betar, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, and forest department, have the leaves and twigs gathered from their premises regularly burnt creating billowing smoke, causing health hazards for the residents around.

Unfit vehicles of the public agencies are also a potential source of air pollution particularly in the capital. Staff buses of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, Bangladesh police, and other agencies are regularly found to release black smoke.

But public agencies and offices have rarely been made accountable for causing air pollution as Department of Environment director Md Ziaul Haque admitted that they had never booked the city corporations for the pollution caused by the dilapidated city roads or at the waste dumping yards or by other government agencies.

But the environment department fined several hundred businesses or individuals for air pollution in the past five years.

On air pollution from biomass burning, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon joint secretary and Stamford University Bangladesh department of environment professor Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder said that burning dead leaves and twigs was a major cause of air pollution in Dhaka city and elsewhere in the country.

But no monitoring agencies have taken any steps to stop biomass burning, a relatively easier step to take, remarked the professor.

A lack of cleanliness and maintenance often makes the premises of different government offices the perfect breeding grounds for dengue carrier Aedes mosquitos.

Data show that the city corporations spent over Tk 200 crore to control dengue in the past three years.

The city authorities, including the two Dhaka city corporations, occasionally conduct mobile courts against Aedes breeding spots and fine businesses and individuals for hosting potential breeding spots. But their own office compounds, along with other public offices, including those of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Civil Aviation Authority, different government educational institutions, national parliament, and even the Secretariat, have been found with potential breeding spots.

Dhaka south city officials said that they had repeatedly asked the government agencies situated in their jurisdiction to keep their premises clean to prevent mosquito breeding. Their call mostly fell on deaf ears, they said.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services data, on Sunday (15 December) at least 548 people died of dengue and over 98,877 people hospitalised with the fever.

Green activist and Waterkeepers Bangladesh coordinator Sharif Jamil said that government institutions had more responsibility than any individuals and corporates to comply with laws and so should face exemplary punishment for seriously polluting environment.

He said that government studies identified public entities like Dhaka WASA and the two city corporations as responsible for 30 per cent of the total pollution in rivers surrounding the capital. But the agencies were never made accountable for their misdeeds.

‘Indemnity to the public agencies has made them desperate to break rules, increasing health hazards,’ he said.

By holding the public agencies accountable, pollution, particularly in the capital and other cities can be substantially reduced, experts observe.​

Public entities need to be held accountable for pollution
22 December, 2024, 00:00

THE failure of regulatory agencies to hold the public entities responsible for environmental pollution to account has led to the alarming state of pollution in Dhaka and other cities. Regulatory agencies in their sporadic and largely ineffectual drives often impose penalties on private establishments, businesses and individuals for failing to follow rules but are never heard to make public agencies accountable. But it is the public agencies that are more responsible for environmental pollution. The regulatory authorities have almost never penalised any public agencies for action or inaction that contributes to pollution. The failure of public agencies to follow the Dhaka City Road Digging Rules 2019 is a majorly contributes to air pollution. While there are specific rules as to how, when or which process is to be followed in digging roads, most contractors and the agencies they work for do not follow the rules. The failure in following the rules is believed to be a major contributor to air pollution in Dhaka, which almost every day ranks as one of the worst cities in the world in terms of air pollution. Prolonged and uncoordinated road digging is also a major reason for water stagnation and congestion in the city. Potholes on roads are also the breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes.

What is unfortunate but true is that public agencies are also responsible for air pollution in more ways than counted. Black smoke emitted by unfit vehicles is another major reason for air pollution in Dhaka and other cities and many vehicles run by public agencies are unfit. Staff buses of many public agencies, including the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, the police and other agencies, are regularly found to release black smoke. The failure of the city authorities, meanwhile, to attend to environmental pollution is telling. To mention waste collection only, the city corporations’ failure can hardly be exaggerated. When the corporations cannot collect all waste produced in the city, they burn much of it in dumps, which exacerbate air pollution and pose a threat to public health. Most public agencies, moreover, have a practice of burning biomass on their premises, which also contributes to air pollution. Public agencies, especially the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority and the two city corporations, are found to be responsible for 30 per cent of the total pollution in rivers surrounding the capital. A lack of cleanliness and maintenance, moreover, often turns the premises of different government offices into the perfect breeding grounds for dengue vector Aedes mosquitoes. The city authorities occasionally run mobile courts against Aedes breeding spots and penalise businesses and individuals for not destroying potential breeding spots, but potential breeding spots in office compounds of many public offices go unnoticed.

Government institutions have more responsibility than any individuals and corporates to comply with laws and they should face exemplary punishment for polluting the environment. The regulatory authorities should, therefore, hold public agencies responsible to account.​

Dhaka’s desperate need for fresh air


Air pollution is not an unfortunate byproduct of development; it is a direct consequence of negligence. ILLUSTRATION : AI GENERATED

This weekend, Dhaka was crowned with the title of one of the unhealthiest air qualities on the planet Earth. With an AQI score of 236 and PM2.5 levels 32 times higher than WHO guidelines, the city's air is not just polluted; it is poison wrapped in the guise of urban progress. Yet, the severity of this crisis seems to hang, much like the smog, in an atmosphere of apathy. Dhaka's descent into hazardous air quality has been decades in the making, fuelled by unchecked industrialisation, reckless urban sprawl, and a systemic failure to prioritise public health. What's most alarming, however, is not the severity of the problem but the sheer inertia in addressing it.

Let us start with the brick kilns, or silent assassins of Dhaka's air. They line the city's outskirts, belching smoke day and night, contributing nearly 58 percent of its particulate matter. For years, the government has mandated the adoption of cleaner technology like zigzag kilns, yet enforcement has been as flimsy as a stack of poorly fired bricks. Bangladesh can no longer afford half-measures. What if every illegal kiln were shut down within six months? What if subsidies were provided for modernising these operations, paired with stringent penalties for noncompliance? The technology exists, as do the success stories—India's rapid shift to cleaner kiln technologies serves as proof.

Vehicles present the next gaping hole in our air quality management. Dhaka's streets are a playground for outdated, poorly maintained cars and diesel-run buses, all spewing black plumes of death into the atmosphere. Take Singapore, a city that once faced similar vehicular chaos. They enforced strict emission standards, introduced congestion pricing, and heavily subsidised public transport. A policy that incentivises electric vehicles and phases out old, polluting ones is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. This is not about becoming Singapore—it is about realising that clean air is not negotiable.

Then there's construction dust, an ever-present irritant that exacerbates an already dire situation. Any glance at a construction site in Dhaka tells the story: debris flying in every direction, no covers in sight, and zero accountability. Cities like Tokyo have tackled this by enforcing rigorous site regulations—requiring barriers, water sprays, and fines for noncompliance. Dhaka's construction industry must operate with the same discipline, because no skyscraper is worth the respiratory health of millions.

But let's not reduce this to a list of policies. Air pollution is not a technical challenge alone; it is a political and social one. In Dhaka, public health has long been relegated to the back burner, overshadowed by economic imperatives. This mindset must change. Air pollution costs Bangladesh nearly 4.4 percent of its GDP annually. What if we reframed this conversation—not as an environmental crisis but as an economic one?

China, once infamous for its "airpocalypse," offers one of the most striking examples of how policy and political will can transform urban air quality. Beijing's journey from choking smog to significantly cleaner air wasn't easy, nor was it immediate. It took the closure of over a thousand coal plants, strict limits on vehicle emissions, and massive investments in renewable energy. Dhaka can take inspiration from Beijing, by understanding that progress and sustainability are not mutually exclusive.

Closer to home, Delhi's struggle with air pollution mirrors Dhaka's in many ways. Incremental progress has been made through measures like the odd-even vehicle rationing system, temporary bans on construction during peak pollution months, and the introduction of stricter emission standards. These policies are not panaceas, but they represent a shift in mindset—one that Dhaka desperately needs to adopt.

Public pressure must also be utilised. Dhaka's residents, often resigned to enduring the worst, must demand better. Bangladesh's civil society, long a force for social change, must now rise to challenge the very air they breathe. And of course, no solution is viable without accountability. Dhaka has no shortage of environmental regulations; what it lacks is the political will to enforce them. Why aren't violators named and shamed? Why aren't fines levied so high that they deter repeat offenses? Corruption and inefficiency have shielded polluters for too long. It's time for a zero-tolerance approach, one that doesn't flinch in the face of economic or political pressure.

Education and awareness must also play their part. How many Dhaka residents know the difference between PM2.5 and PM10, or understand how air quality impacts their lifespan? South Korea, for instance, has made air quality education a public priority, integrating it into school curriculums and running mass awareness campaigns. Dhaka's citizens deserve the same knowledge—because informed communities are empowered to hold their leaders accountable.

The solutions are not beyond reach, but they require a fundamental shift in priorities. Air pollution is not an unfortunate byproduct of development; it is a direct consequence of negligence. The government must recognise this as a national emergency, not an inconvenient statistic. Industries must be reined in, transport systems overhauled, and urban planning recalibrated with sustainability at its core. Ultimately, Dhaka's air crisis is a test of our collective resolve. Do we have the courage to confront the uncomfortable truths, to make the sacrifices required for cleaner air? Or will we continue to choke on the fumes of our inaction, waiting for the day when even breathing becomes a privilege?

Maisha Islam Monamee is a student at Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at the University of Dhaka and a contributor at The Daily Star.​

10 factories in 5 BSCIC estates running without ETPs
They are causing unabeted environmental damage


Pollution in the water bodies of Sylhet sadar upazila has worsened in recent years, reportedly because of untreated wastewater from the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Khadimnagar. The photo was taken recently from Kallagram village in the upazila. Photo: Sheikh Nasir

Seventy-year-old Shamsul Haque remembers how clean the Balutikar canal was when he moved to Kallagram village in Sylhet 20 years ago.

Pollution in the water body has severely worsened in recent years, reportedly because of untreated wastewater from the industrial estate of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) in Khadimnagar.

Among the factories in over 80 BSCIC industrial estates across Bangladesh, 173 discharge liquid waste and 157 of them have set up effluent treatment plants (ETPs), according to BSCIC data.

Seven of these ETPs are closed now while six others are under construction.

It means 10 factories in these industrial estates have not installed any ETPs. These factories are situated in five districts – four in Sylhet, three in Natore, and one each in Mymensingh, Chattogram's Kalurghat and Cumilla's Chauddagram.

Among the factories in over 80 BSCIC industrial estates across Bangladesh, 173 discharge liquid waste and 157 of them have set up effluent treatment plants (ETPs), according to BSCIC data

The 10 factories mainly belong to the textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, pesticides and yarn industries, according to a source in BSCIC.

The source also stated that a lack of space, shifts in the production sector, financial insolvency, and limited awareness about environmental pollution have all contributed to the absence of ETPs in the factories.

In Sylhet, before the factories without ETPs started polluting Balutikar, the water was so good that people could cook food with it and bathe, recalled retired service holder Shamsul from Kallagram village, which was recently added to the city corporation. "Even people from other villages would come here to fish."

Now the stench of water, which looks like tar, is so bad that it is difficult to even walk alongside it. The bad odour spreads through the villages all the time, and sometimes foam and filthy waste gathers.

The canal has been a source of irrigation for Boro paddy in the three wetlands called Haors under Khadimpara union. But the pollution is damaging the croplands, said locals.

The Balutikar canal is connected to the Surma river via the Kushigang river, which means the wastewater from the factories without ETPs is also affecting the rivers.

Officials at BSCIC industrial estate in Khadimnagar said they have no data regarding pollution and environmental damage caused by the four factories without ETPs.

Sources said the four factories are Akther Rubber and Latex Industry, Auto Clean, The Sylhet Top Clean and Hanifi Auto Board Mill.

Nurun Nabi, director of Akther Rubber and Latex Industry, said they could not install an ETP due to a lack of space.

Eight years ago, they applied for a 1,000-square-foot space adjacent to their factory, but the authorities allotted the plot to another larger industry.

Last year, they applied for another small space adjacent to their factory and that too is yet to be allotted to them, he said.

"We got prepared to install an ETP years ago, but the BSCIC officials are giving preferences to larger industries," Nurun Nabi alleged.

Another factory owner claimed that the wastewater his factory produces is not harmful to the environment, rather the insecticide and fertilisers being used by a tea garden near the BSCIC estate are responsible for the pollution of the canal.

Even many of the factories with ETPs are allegedly not using the plants regularly, the owner said.

M Suhel Hawlader, the general manager of BSCIC in Sylhet, stated that the corporation has repeatedly urged the factories to install an ETP or comply with the regulations. However, these factories have cited a land shortage as the reason for their non-compliance.

Badrul Huda, assistant director of the Department of Environment (DoE) in Sylhet district, said they were aware of the water pollution of the Balutikar canal.

Soon, drives will be conducted against organisations that do not have ETP and environmental clearance.

Those who have ETPs should be brought under IP cameras and monitoring should be increased so that they cannot spread polluted waste in the canal, he says.

In Natore, where three factories do not have ETPs, the wastewater from BSCIC estate flows through drains in villages.

The water is so toxic that poultry or livestock die instantly when any falls into the drains, said Rezia Begum, a resident of Doatpara village next to the industrial estate.

"We catch skin diseases and other sort of sicknesses when the wastewater gets mixed up with floodwater and enters our homes after heavy rains," she added.

Shahina Begum, who lives in Goaldanga, another village in the area, also alleged the toxic water of the drains was causing diseases among the residents.

Mihir Hossain, a resident of Dattapara village, alleged the villagers had been threatened when they had spoken up against the influential businessmen of the BSCIC estate.

"We have stopped protesting since the locals get in danger whenever we raise our voice while the businessmen face no action," he said.

Dilruba Dipti, deputy manager of the BSCIC estate in Natore, said the factories without ETPs have been repeatedly reminded of the issue, but they never paid heed to what the authorities said.

Asked about the allegations made by the villagers that the drains were causing health and environmental damage, she claimed no one complained that the drains caused any harm.

An official at the BSCIC head office said the industries without ETPs are frequently warned against producing environmentally harmful products.

The DoE had been informed and urged to take appropriate legal action against the non-compliant factories, the official added.

GM Robbani Talukdar, deputy general manager for the industrial estate and coordination section of BSCIC, said a lack of space on their plots is hindering the factories from building ETPs.

"These plots were allotted a long ago, and at that time, environmental concerns were not as prominent as now. That's why ETPs were not part of their plans," he explained.

Rabbani said that the products that are being manufactured now require ETPs because of the chemicals used for their production.

When the plots were initially allotted, the production units did not use any chemicals that required ETPs, he said.

However, the current layouts of the plots cannot accommodate ETPs.

If there is a vacant plot adjacent to these factories, efforts are being made to allocate for ETPs, Rabbani said.

Alamgir Kabir, general secretary of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, told The Daily Star that the DoE is fully responsible for the factories, which were allowed to run despite polluting the environment.

"If they (DoE) don't have the ability to monitor, why are they allowing these companies to do business?"

Kabir questioned whether unabated pollution would continue to occur if ETPs were not installed due to a lack of space or funds.

[Our Natore Correspondent Bulbul Ahmed contributed to this report]​

Is drive against polythene bags missing the target?
Neil Ray
Published :
Dec 22, 2024 22:12
Updated :
Dec 22, 2024 22:12



Tapan Kumar Biswas, additional secretary and chairman of the polythene monitoring committee formed under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change came up with the performances accomplished so far since November 3. Following a drive against polythene in the kitchen market of Karwan Bazar, he disclosed 48 days' achievement. The chairman of the committee claims the credit of conducting 199 mobile court drives and realising fines amounting to Tk 2,572,300 from 414 shops and business establishments. Also, 50,556 kilograms of polythene bags were seized.

The operation of mobile court and seizure of big hauls of polythene shopping bags can hardly be any achievement. But surely the snapping of utility services to and sealing off four factories that produced such bags is a big achievement. Yet the question remains, are the drives producing the desired results? Not at all. Hardly a kitchen market in Dhaka can boast it is free of the polythene bags. Even the vendors selling fruits, vegetables or other commodities from their rickshaw vans use such bags as before. Where from do they get the supply? Old stocks were supposed to run out by this time.

Well, the step by step enforcement was logical but still it fell short of adequate preparation. Let's see why. A limited ban on use of polythene bags was first enforced from October 1 last and the countrywide ban was imposed from November 1 last. Actually, the original ban on use of polythene shopping bags in Bangladesh was imposed way back in 2001, the first country to have done so. At that time, there was greater success and it fell through because of a lack of subsequent follow-up. Therefore, the legal provision enacted to do so was still valid although it came to disuse. In that sense the latest prohibition ought to have been an invocation of the earlier law.

Whatever it may be, the important point is that doing away with this randomly used and thrown away non-biodegradable substance was long overdue. The month of November was set for monitoring market, not backed up by legal actions against vendors or retailers. This was logical because by this time, they were supposed to have disposed with their stocks. However, during this time the manufacturers and suppliers were targeted for action. From December 1 last, full enforcement of the prohibitive act took effect.

Evidently, the realities of 2001 and 2024 are way different. Not many factories producing polythene bags were there then but today their number is supposed to have multiplied. So, sealing just four of those off is proving to be a half-hearted exercise. The mobile court drives at the kitchen market is useless. It is clear that this cat-and-mouse game the bureaucrats have played all along is more a ploy or an eye wash than a serious move to eliminate the menace of this harmful substance. The need is to focus on the production units. If not a single such bag is produced anywhere, there is no question of its use by anyone.

Instead of sticking to this useless tactic, as proved by years of such drives, please launch purposeful drives against the producers of polythene shopping bags. Make it a point that not a single such factory will be in operation for production of those bags. These are not underground manufacturing plants, so each one of those can be identified for sealing those off.

Although this time the move cannot be likened with putting the cart before the horse, as is done in such cases, still it was not complemented with the supportive initiatives. The alternative to polythene bags are few and far between. Had there been mass production of even remotely comparable alternative shopping bags, the situation would have improved a lot. So, this is a prerequisite that must be addressed on a war-footing in order to complement the drive against poly-bag manufacturers.​