Protecting our water
Central treatment plants may be the way forward
Indiscriminate pollution of water bodies should not be allowed to continue unabated.
The Daily Star has done a commendable job in bringing to the public attention the terrible damage being done to our rivers -- the lifeblood of our city -- due to encroachment on river banks and untreated industrial discharges. The dyeing and washing factories and tanneries, among others, often discharge toxic effluents without any treatment into the water, affecting the health and well being of thousands of people in the areas nearby. Many of these factories do not have effluent treatment plants, though they are required by law to have one. Those factories that have installed ETPs to comply with the law often bypass the treatment process as a cost saving measure. Solutions are not easy to come by, however, time and again, more developed countries have demonstrated to us that green businesses (ones that don't pollute) are more sustainable and profitable in the long run. Some good work has been done on this front. The Dhaka Export Processing Zone, operated by the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA), has shown its commitment to better business practices. The Dhaka EPZ holds nearly one hundred enterprises and employs nearly one hundred thousand workers. Of these factories, one- fourth of them generate wastewater in their process, mostly from the washing and dyeing of garments. While many of these factories have their own effluent treatment plants, some of which function quite well, BEPZA has decided to build a central effluent treatment plant (CETP) to better manage the overall impact of wastewater in both the Dhaka zone and the Chittagong zone. Two firms have been selected to design, construct and operate the central plants -- D-Water in DEPZ and the Chittagong Waste Treatment Plants Ltd. in the CEPZ. The CETPs are expected to be constructed and in operation by August 2010, and promise to provide treatment levels that are in accordance with our Department of Environment effluent standards. To help assure that the projects are successful, BEPZA has partnered with the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF), managed by IFC, in partnership with DFID and EC. BICF will provide technical assistance to BEPZA staff so they can assess and monitor the design, construction and initial start-up operations of the CETPs. BEPZA's commitment to improving the environmental conditions of its EPZs is commendable, and if it is successful it may become a model for the rest of the country. BEPZA has also initiated projects with BICF to establish strong environment management practices at their facilities. BICF is helping BEPZA develop an environmental monitoring program for inspectors to encourage the best management practices by their enterprises. They are also developing a comprehensive Environmental Management System for the organisation, again in line with best international practices. Fortunately, economic zones provide a unique opportunity to government regulators who are trying to monitor and enforce international standards for environmental controls. Regulators can channel monitoring and enforcement efforts through a single entity -- the zone management. The zone management typically maintains regular contact with its tenant companies for a range of issues. It also has at its disposal a variety of mechanisms that can be used as enforcement tools. For example, if a company within the zone is not complying with established standards, the zone management can, after following an established notification and warning procedure, deny that company an import or export license, or assume other tactics, which impede the operation of the company. These are drastic measures that are only to be used as a last resort. Just the existence of such mechanisms is often enough to prevent companies from violating environmental standards. Thus, a regulatory authority such as BEPZA is well-positioned with an established team and a variety of tools at its disposal to monitor and enforce environmental compliance.
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