Polluting Buriganga: File case against 30 washing plants
The High Court yesterday directed the Department of Environment (DoE) to lodge a case against 30 washing plants in Keraniganj area within 30 days, for polluting the water of river Buriganga in the area.
The 30 factories in question are -- Ahmed Hossain, Amena, Sun Moon, Eden, Bismillah, Lotus, Global, Rubel, Anushka, Sotota, Chanchal, Abdur Rob, Dhaka, Ajan, New Sahara, Dohar, Relative, New Nasha, Unique, Mow, Setu, Quality, Joena, Kalam, Water Colour, Par Joar, GM, Cumilla, Achhia and Lily water plants.
During hearing a writ petition, the HC ordered the authorities concerned of the government to stop dumping waste into Buriganga.
The authorities concerned and local representatives have been directed to monitor the situation so that no one can dump waste into Buriganga and to take appropriate legal action if any individual or organisation pollutes its water and environment.
The HC also ordered them to submit separate reports to this court on the progress of complying with the directives on first Sunday of every month.
The HC bench of Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order while hearing the petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) in May 2010.
Petitioner's lawyer Manzill Murshid told the HC that according to a report submitted by DoE, 30 washing plants at Keraniganj are dumping waste into the Buriganga and are polluting its water and environment in violation of the law and court directives.
The DoE had shut down the polluting factories twice and they have started operation again, he said.
Murshid said there are rules in the law for filing cases against such polluting factories, but the DoE has not filed any case.
Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mynul Hasan represented the government while lawyer Amatul Karim appeared for DoE.
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