On March 22 the environment ministry set the deadline and asked the industry owners to come up with their action plan and submit it to the DoE. But the DoE officials said they received poor response from the mill owners.

"We are mainly focusing on textile mills and related industries. Because of their high density they are mainly responsible for the pollution and the appalling condition of the rivers around Dhaka city. But the industry owners are still very reluctant to comply with the deadline," said Nazimuddin Chowdhury, director of DoE, Dhaka Division.

"If we can control the untreated liquid waste discharged from these industries, then the situation will improve significantly. The pollution will reach a tolerable level," he added.

"Those who submitted the proposed action plans have failed to mention a specific time-line. Most of the proposals are vague. It did not include how and when they will finish the ETP installation process," Chowdhury mentioned.

There are about 1,800 industries in and around Dhaka city that include textile, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and tanneries producing liquid waste. Among them 800 are textile mills and related industries including dyeing, washing, and finishing.

These industries are situated in Tejgaon, Shyampur, Fatulla, Konabari, Ashulia and Rupganj areas, and on the banks of Shitalakkhya, Bangsi, Balu and Turag rivers.

DoE officials said only 89 of them have in-house ETP. The others continue production without ETP, discharging toxic waste into the rivers and other water bodies. Some factories do not run the treatment plant to save operating cost.

Millions of gallons of hazardous untreated wastes from these industries are polluting all the four rivers, canals and low-lying areas around the city, posing major environmental threat and health hazards.

According to a study, 67.7 million litres of untreated liquid industrial wastes are dumped into the nature every day.

Towfique Hassan, secretary general, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, said ETP is a new idea for the factory owners. After recent meetings with the environment adviser, they realised that it will not be possible for them to operate their industries without ETP. Their awareness about pollution has increased.

"But it will take time to bring the entire industry under ETP system. Main reason is that because of the sudden increase in demand, suppliers are not being able to deliver necessary machinery within this short period of time," he noted.

There are other issues involved, he mentioned. "Smaller industrial units are not economically solvent enough to install and run ETP and they are very large in number.

Most of the small units do not have land of their own."

Hassan said these small units need bank loans to implement the plan on ETP.

"If smaller units are given a little more time they can arrange ETP system jointly with factories situated in the same area. If the government permits setting up of an ETP for 10 to 12 factories together, it would be easier," he said.

Chowdhury said before 1997 there was no law related to environment. When the garment industry began to expand there were only cutting and sewing industries. It did not involve any wet processing. Later when dyeing and washing plants were introduced it became a problem. There was no specific guideline regarding liquid waste discharge until 1997.

The DoE, with the assistance of joint forces, will take stern actions under the Environment Conservation Act 1997 against the owners of industrial units who will not carry out ETP installation programmes within the deadline, he said.

The environment ministry has decided to shut down all industrial units running without ETP and polluting water bodies with untreated wastes from November 1.