Toxic Mill Water Enters Crop Fields
Farmers block road to protest pollution
Farmers put up blockade at Bharaduba on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Bhaluka upazila from 11:00am t0 3:30pm yesterday protesting flow of toxic water from a textile mill in their crop fields.
Toxic water from Experience Textile Mills at Bharaduba has been affecting their crop lands for years, said farmers.
The toxic liquid caused much damage to boro crops this year, they added.
Yesterday's road blockade caused immense sufferings to hundreds of passengers from Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrakona, Kishoreganj and Mymensingh districts.
Later local lawmaker Dr M Amanullah along with Bhaluka upazila nirbahi officer, the officer-in-charge of Bhaluka Police Station and others visited the spot and persuaded the agitating farmers to withdraw the barricade.
At a discussion held at the mill, its authority agreed to compensate the victims soon and make alternate arrangement to drain out the toxic water in a planned way so that croplands are not affected, police said.
The mill will remain closed till the conditions are not fulfilled, they added.
"Boro plants on some 2000 hectares of land were affected this year due to toxic flow from Experience Textile Mills," Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Md Mozammel Haque told this correspondent.
A DAE team visited the spot in the beginning of this boro season and submitted report to the authority concerned. A team from Forest and Environment Ministry also visited the affected area a month ago, said DAE sources.
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