Call to intensify fight against pollution
Students of Dhaka University yesterday took part in an anti-pollution drive organised by the Department of Environment (DoE) in a bid to raise awareness about environment pollution and its impacts.
DoE Director Munir Chowdhury, who has been leading the ongoing drive against the industrial units of the country which are polluting the environment, welcomed the 23 students of the development studies department of the university.
Terming them a "Green Brigade", he urged the youths to create awareness among people.
In the drive yesterday, the enforcement and monitoring wing of the DoE fined two garment factories at Dariapara in Savar a total of around Tk 36.31 lakh for not complying with the environment conservation law and polluting the Karnopara canal and the Dhaleshawri river.
Though they have effluent treatment plants (ETP), those are not working properly, said DoE officials.
One of them, Surma Garments, a knitting and dying unit, was fined Tk 24.64 lakh for discharging liquid waste that overflows the dosing tank of the ETP. The DoE fined the other factory, JK Fabrics, Tk 11.67 whose dosing tank of the ETP was not operating.
The team also discovered that Surma Garments has been operating for the last five years without an environment clearance certificate.
The air near the canal is heavy with the stench of the dumped liquid waste and the water of the canal between Katlapur and Bagalpul is almost blocked with the waste, the officials observed.
A local resident, Deen Islam, told this correspondent that apart from industrial waste the Savar municipal authorities also dump rubbish into the canal on a regular basis.
The enforcement team directed the authorities of Surma Garments and JK Garments to fix their ETPs if they want to avoid legal action against them.
Later in a views-exchange meeting at the DoE office, Munir Chwodhury lauded students' participation in the drive, saying it would intensify the battle against the pollution.
Sharing their reaction, students vowed to continue to work to save the environment.
Mahfuzul Haque, a part-time teacher of the development studies department who led the students, said the department has a course titled "Environment and Development" on its curriculum. Students taking the course participated in the drive to gain practical experience.
The experience will make them more aware of environment issues and in turn they will make others aware of the same, he added.
Acting Director General of DoE Mohammad Shahjahan welcomed the initiative of involving students and said this type of ventures is good for the drive against pollution.
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