Tanners delaying relocation on lame excuse

Tannery owners have been holding up the relocation of their factories from Hazaribagh to Savar on the pretext of financial crisis although the tannery industrial estate is ready for operation, said the consultant of the estate's Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP).

“Two modules of the CETP are ready for operation. Sometimes we run the plant with air blow for not having adequate effluents from tanneries to make sure that the machine is not damaged,” consultant Delwar Hossain told a discussion in the city's Brac Centre Inn yesterday.

Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) and some NGOs jointly organised the programme to discuss the issue of the relocation.

Delwar said the delay was putting the environment in Hazaribagh and the health of the Buriganga in danger.

“The relocation should be completed as soon as possible not only to save the environment, but also to keep the CETP operating as we need adequate effluent now,” the expert said in his keynote speech.

The relocation project was taken up in 1991, but it was postponed until 2003 due to a court order.

The government estimated the total cost of relocation at Tk 1078.71 crore, of which Tk 250 crore would be for incentive to tannery owners and Tk 638.79 crore for the CETP, dumping yards, sewage treatment plant and sludge power generation system, said Delwar, also a teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

A total of 155 tanneries have been allocated plots on 199.40 acres of land in Savar. Besides, the CETP has been set up on 17 acres.

According to the expert, only 10 factories are now tanning leather at the industrial estate.

Speaking at the programme as the chief guest, Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Manju said he had the power to shut the tanneries in Hazaribagh as they pollute the environment.

“However, I've some limitations. I've been asked by the prime minister to go slow on the issue and not to shut the tanneries,” he told the function.

The shifting of factories is a job of the industries ministry, the minister added.

He expressed frustration that he needs to consult foreign experts about different issues instead of local experts.

About saving rivers, Manju said: “We all have been fighting for saving the Buriganga, the Turag, the Balu and the Shitalakkhya, but many of us don't know how many other rivers are dying across the country. We should also look at those small rivers.”

He blasted bureaucracy for causing problems to people. For example, he said, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha has been “breaking the necks of people”.

“One day the common people will start a war against the bureaucracy,” the minister warned.

Sanjay Kumar Talukdar, technical expert and consultant of Bangladesh Tanners Association, claimed not all the information provided by the CETP consultant was correct.

Both the CETP modules were not ready for operation, he said, adding that the plant was not ready to treat the salt used in tanneries. Besides, the sludge power generation system was not fully functional yet.

There were many errors in the layout design of the CETP. The pipes used in the plant were not strong enough to withstand the load of effluent and water, Sanjay claimed.

However, his claims were denied by CETP consultant Delwar.

Raisul Alam Mandal, director general of the Department of Environment, said it was high time now that the tanners shifted to Savar as the process had already taken long time.

“Please collect your [tanners] certificates from the Department of Environment soon and start operations in Savar,” Raisul called upon factory owners.

Abul Kalam Azad, president of Bangladesh Tannery Workers Association, urged the project authorities to build dormitories and hospitals for tannery workers inside the industrial estate.

The discussion was moderated by Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive of Bela.