CETP at savar tannery industrial estate: Colossal failure, misuse of public funds

The central effluent treatment plant (CETP) at the Savar Tannery Industrial Estate with fundamental flaws and jaw-dropping inadequacies, reflects extremely negatively on how this project was planned, designed and implemented, said Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the environment, forest and climate change ministry.

In an interview with The Daily Star, Saber, also the ruling Awami League MP from Dhaka-9, expressed optimism that the ministries concerned would look into all aspects of the faults, identify those responsible and take actions in this regard.

"This is a must to ensure accountability and transparency and avoid similar colossal failures and misuse of public funds in future," he said.

As the CETP it is not fully functional, the tannery estate is causing massive pollution to the area and the Dhaleshwari river.

Asked how it was possible to run the estate without having a fully functional CETP and a solid waste treatment facility, Saber said running a tannery estate without ensuring these basic facilities is illegal and the tanners are responsible for causing massive pollution over the last 10 years.

"Other than virtually killing rivers, huge damages have been done to the ecology and environment and there are of course some major public health issues to be taken into consideration."

The rivers around the capital are now polluted to such an extent that even bacteria do not survive in some areas of the water bodies, the MP said.

"As a part of the Balu river is in my electoral constituency, I have known first-hand how my constituents suffer from the pollution and the high incidence of various diseases, including those of the skin."

About the long delay in implementing the recommendation made by the parliamentary watchdog to shut down the tannery estate, Saber said the recommendation should have been implemented much faster because the minister and the deputy minister of the environment ministry along with the ministry and the Department of Environment officials were also in agreement and fully aligned.

"A process has to be followed to implement the committee's recommendation. However, I admit that it is taking much longer than needed.

"For the ministry concerned, it is not a very comfortable situation to be in as it has to take actions against an agency of another ministry [industries]."

He said although the law must apply equally to all, including the organs of the government, action against them for violating law is perhaps not readily forthcoming.

"I think this is generally true across the board but it is not at all a healthy situation and simply not acceptable. How can we possibly insist on citizens abiding by the law when certain government bodies show a brazen disregard for it as in this instance?" Saber said.

He said robust oversight of actions of the executive branch and ensuring accountability is a fundamental task of the committee and it will continue to vigorously implement its mandate to ensure the rule of law and that it is never compromised.

Enquired whether it would be possible for the authorities to shut the tannery estate to save the Dhaleshwari, the standing committee chief said he was happy to confirm that the DoE already shut down seven tanning factories there and also snapped their water and power connections.

"Also, I believe that a fine of over Tk 4 crore has been levied on the BSCIC for the pollution caused in recent years and this is perhaps the first time that we will be realising such huge fines.

"We will progressively continue to take actions against all non-compliant units and this initial action and our policy of 'zero tolerance' should be clear to all."

The DoE earlier severed a notice on the joint committee that runs the tannery estate, with around 110 tanning units, asking it to explain why the estate will not be closed.

Asked why the Jatiya Sangsad body was not satisfied with the committee's reply to the show cause notice, Saber said the estate even did not bother about applying for a no-objection certificate in over 10 years.

"They mentioned about what they hope to do in the future, but they did not explain why they showed a complete disregard for rules and provisions of the law," he said.

Regarding the concern of the stakeholders that the closure of the tannery estate would severely affect their businesses, the lawmaker said they know about the legal requirements very well and they should have set up their tanning units accordingly.

"We as a committee are only working to ensure compliance with the law and all the related rules and provisions."

He said the tanners should focus on meeting the standards and requirements of the law.

The JS body chief said it's supremely ironic that the government relocated tanneries from the capital's Hazaribagh to Savar to save the Buriganga, but the relocation only fueled the pollution of another river in Savar and the environment continues to lose.

"We are absolutely in favour of development and under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has indeed witnessed a remarkable growth."

Protecting and promoting the environment, health, and wellbeing of the country's citizens must also be regarded as a growth imperative, Saber said.