Bangladesh
Savar Tannery Environmental Pollution: Dept of Environment wants to shut down Savar tannery estate
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, February 11: The Department of Environment wants to shut down the tannery estate of Savar due to environmental pollution.
The department is going to implement the decision to close the tannery industry soon on the recommendation of the parliamentary committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. The tannery industry will be shut down soon following other procedures including talks with the Ministry of Industries. The decision was announced at a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee held at the Parliament House on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by committee's chairman Saber Hossain Chowdhury and was attended by members of the committee, including Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin, Deputy Minister Habibun Nahar, Nazim Uddin Ahmed, Zafar Alam, Khodeja Nasrin Akter Hossain and Md. Shahin Chakladar.
After the meeting, committee's chairman Saber Hossain Chowdhury told reporters that a notice had been issued by the environment department on why the tannery estate would not be shut down. But they responded to the notice and announced some plans. We did not find their answer satisfactory. That is why we have spoken of taking the necessary steps to close the tannery. The environment minister will talk to the industry minister about this. Even if it is not under the Ministry of Industry, keep the decision informed. The Department of Environment will then take steps to close the tannery industry.
He said, "Our decision is it should not be continued. It cannot be allowed to continue as it is now. Our concern is the solid waste. There are no facilities for this treatment."
In response to a question, he said there are about 125 units, out of which 24 units have applied personally. They said they have a treatment facility. We'll check. They can be considered if they fall within the rules.
He said the environment department would close down the tannery industry following all the procedures under its existing law.
Earlier, on August 23 last year, the parliamentary committee had recommended the closure of the tannery industry due to environmental pollution. The reason was later shown by their letter from the Department of Environment. However, the chairman of the parliamentary committee said after the meeting on Thursday that the reply to the letter was not satisfactory.
