When will the farce end?
The government has yet again extended the date of shifting the Hazaribagh tanneries by three months. This was not the first time that the deadline for relocation of tanneries to Savar was extended, and going by the pattern of behaviour of the tanners and the readiness of the infrastructure and facilities at the new site, this will not be the last time that the deadline has been missed or that a new deadline will be set by the industries ministry.
In the first place, we find it rather bizarre that the ministry would be insisting on relocation of such a large number of factories without ensuring that the new site was complete in all respects in terms of the facilities, particularly the effluent treatment plant. Only 37 of the 154 industrial plants are being used at the new site, whereas, at least 70 such estates need to be working in order to make the effluent plant operational. Regrettably, these 37 units are disgorging their waste and untreated water in the Dhaleswari.
The tannery shifting episode has been an appalling story of poor planning, wilful foot dragging and unholy nexus between a few in the administration and the tanners to delay the shifting to serve some narrow ends. The project stemmed from a sincere desire to save the moribund Buriganga. Unfortunately, that effort has so far been blunted. And now the Dhaleswari, we fear will meet the same fate as the Buriganga.
Enough is enough. We hope the ministry means business this time.
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