Are we consuming tannery waste?

First, a gang smuggles solid wastes of leather (leftovers after cutting and trimming) from the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate.  Then it sells them to poultry and fish feed producing factories around  the country.

Later, the chicken and fish, consuming these wastes, end up on the plates of citizens.

You don't need to be a health expert to understand how such practices pose public health hazards.

During multiple visits to the tannery estate, this correspondent  spoke to many officials, staffers and truck drivers. Most of them did  not want to talk about the issue in detail, but they all more or less  admitted to the fact that these solid wastes are indeed getting smuggled  and being sold to animal feed producing factories.

But what's scarier is that this has been going on for a while. 

The High Court in 2019 directed the government to immediately stop  operation of poultry and fish feed  factories across the country that  use hazardous tannery waste for  producing feed.

"A variety of chemicals, including chromium, are used to make animal  feed from these wastes. These chemicals have the potential for deadly  diseases, including cancer, in the human body," reads a Bangladesh Small  and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) statement on the issue  dating back to early this year.

Savar upazila livestock officer Dr Md Sajedul Islam also said use of  tannery waste is completely prohibited in poultry industry. This waste  carries heavy metals and hazardous chemicals that are harmful for  health.  

However, the smuggling of tannery wastes continues to this date,  although the authorities and police claim that they have a  zero-tolerance policy in this regard. 

The industrial area has 141 operational  tanneries and one dedicated dumping station for solid waste, which is around six acres. They usually  dump these solid wastes in a dedicated station  and leave them there. According to officials, around 64,000 tonnes of  solid waste is produced per year.

Staff and transport workers in the tannery estate alleged that the  gang go to the estate's dumping stations late at night or early morning  with trucks, then load it with solid tannery waste and leave the area.

"A section of insiders including members of the authorities,  security guards  and law enforcers are helping this gang," alleged Nayan  Miah, a truck driver for the tannery estate.

Sometimes, the authorities seize trucks laden with solid waste. But  later they release it through underhand dealings, said another worker,  seeking anonymity.

Visiting the estate premises recently, this correspondent saw two  such trucks -- Dhaka Metro Dr 14-6047 and Dhaka Metro Dr 12-1271 -- kept  parked near the Waste Treatment Plant Company Limited. They were filled  with seized solid wastes.

"We have seized the two trucks. We will hand over those to police soon," said an official of the estate.

He also alleged that law enforcers in most of the cases do not take  action against these illegal traders. Rather, they release the trucks  after taking bribes.

Russell Mollah, in-charge of Chamra Shilpa Nagari Police Outpost,  denied the allegations. "The tannery estate authorities have so far  handed over only one truck to us. But, we could not take action as none  filed any case over this matter," he said. 

"We are not authorised to seize any truck. If the tannery  authorities seize trucks and file a case, we will definitely take action  in this regard," he said.

  Contacted, Satendra Nath Paul, chief engineer of Dhaka Tannery  Industrial Estate Waste Treatment Plant Company Limited, said, "We will  discuss the matter in the next board meeting and come up with a decision  so that we can take stern action against the perpetrators." 

About leaving the wastes in a dump yard inside the industrial zone,  he said, "We have approached companies that can use these for  by-products [factories making wallets, leather boards, sandals and key  rings or even ceramic, cement or tiles factories]. We have also floated a  tender in this regard, but no one officially responded to it yet."