Rejoinder

Rahimafrooz Batteries Ltd (RBL) in a rejoinder to the report, headlined "Rahimafrooz fined Tk 6 lakh" and run in The Daily Star on April 6, said the report contains certain misinterpretation of facts.
The company has said there are no canals nearby the factory, and the effluent is treated before being discharged into the drain provided by the concerned authorities.
It said the factory does not release the effluent into agricultural land or rivers, and the Department of Environment (DoE) did not find the pH level out of specification in the adjacent postal land.
The company said it is an ISO 14001 certified organisation and makes continuous efforts in running its operation in full compliance with all environmental regulations required by the DoE.

Our reply
The report was prepared based on a press announcement released by the Department of Environment (DoE) on April 5.
It said a DoE enforcement team conducted a test on sample liquid waste discharged by the RBL factory in Zirani of Gazipur during a drive.
The test revealed that the discharged effluent had an acidity (pH) level of 11 and electrical conductivity of 3,040 microsiemens per centimetre, which are higher than the accepted standards of pH of 6-9 and electrical conductivity of 1,200 microsiemens per centimetre, said the release.
The toxicity in the liquid waste is ultimately polluting the local agricultural lands, canal and rivers, it added.