Pakiza Dyeing fined Tk 35 lakh

This dark substance from a can shows the kind of effluent released by Pakiza Dyeing and Printing Industries in Chhotoboli (Mehr) and ending up in rivers and wetlands of Savar. DoE fined the industry Tk 35 lakh. The photo was taken yesterday.Photo: STAR

The environment department yesterday penalised a renowned textile dyeing industry Tk 35 lakh for releasing untreated chemical wastes into the river and wetland in Savar.
A team of Department of Environment (DoE) found that Pakiza Dyeing and Printing Industries in Chhotoboli (Mehr) was releasing untreated liquid waste onto nearby land with a bypass drain keeping the outlet of the effluent treatment plant (ETP) shut, said DoE Director Mohammad Munir Chowdhury.
Moreover, he said, several serious defects were detected in the ETP.
An on-the-spot examination revealed that dissolved oxygen in the liquid waste was much lower than the required level, he said.
The industry authorities, however, claimed that the incident of untreated wastes through a bypass disposal line was due to a leakage, DoE sources said.
The DoE authorities ordered the closure of the bypass line within 24 hours and rectification of the ETP within a week.
Munir said the river Bangshai and Bagair wetland were victims of pollution due to chemicals released by the dyeing industry and the pollution has destroyed fish resources in the wetland.
Earlier, the DoE detected the incidents of release of wastes by the industry several times since 1993 and its gas and electricity connections were cut off in 2007 for the offence, he said.
Around 50,000 yards of cloths are printed at the industry a day.