Toxic mill waste polluting water bodies, croplands

Stagnant toxic water in the compound of Sirajganj BSCIC estate. Some mills operating without treatment plants are polluting the environment there. PHOTO: STAR

The pollutants include two yarn dyeing and processing units and a small cement factory, sources in the BSCIC office and owners of some industrial units said.

They said owners of some industrial units, joined by local residents and farmers in adjoining villages staged demonstrations on several occasions and complained to the BSCIC authorities but to no effect.

The atmosphere in the industrial estate is dirty and unhygienic since long due to lack of proper drainage system. A slight rain creates water-logging in the estate and most of the roads are flooded. BSCIC officials said they could not take up any plan because of lack of funds.

The situation deteriorated when the three yarn dyeing and processing mills and some other industrial units started releasing polluted water as they did not have treatment facilities or reservoirs for safe disposal of pollutants, the sources said.

Polluted waters from the units at times overflow the Sirajganj-Bogra highway, the only road to enter the town. Roads and Highways officials here alleged that stagnant water also damages the road. This correspondent during a recent visit to the area also saw water overflowing the highway.

The Siranganj BSCIC estate was set up on 10 acres of land in 1985.

A total of 10 industrial units are now in operation and more five are coming up.

The 10 include three cotton dyeing and processing mill, a cement mill and a salt mill. None of the units has treatment plant or proper drainage facility for disposal of effluents.

The sources said the three dyeing mills were set up between 1987 and 1990. They started operation with one-year permission from the Department of Environment (DoE) with a promise to set up treatment plants by this time. They renewed the permission every year till 2004 but did not take any step to install treatment plants, the sources said.

Toxic water released from the mills flows into nearby croplands, water bodies and to the Kalinja river.

The cement factory has no dust collector. Workers in other industrial units and villagers alleged that dust from the cement mill is polluting the air.

When contacted, Abdul Latif, Assistant General Manager (AGM) the BSCIC estate said he issued notices to the yarn dyeing units and the cement factory to install treatment plants and dust collector.

The BSCIC authorities can not take action against them due to intervention by a local ruling party lawmaker, he said.

Tarikul Islam, Assistance Engineer of BSCIC said the industries ministry secretary visited the BSCIC estate on May 2 this year. After the visit, he submitted a plan involving Tk 63 lakh to set up a RCC pipe drain upto Kalinza rafter to remove the water-logging.

Anisur Rahman, President of Sirajganj District Chambers and Commerce said toxic water from the industrial estate is polluting the environment and spreading diseases but they have nothing to do. He said they urged the district administration on several occasions to take steps, but no initiative came.