Jamuna Denim fined Tk 52.6 lakh
The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined Jamuna Denim, a sister concern of Jamuna Group, Tk 52.6 lakh for dumping untreated toxic wastes into the river Turag.
A DoE team paid a surprise visit to the dyeing factory at Konabari of Gazipur last Tuesday and found the factory discharging untreated liquid wastes into the river, in spite of having an effluent treatment plant (ETP).
The factory kept the ETP inactive and continued polluting the river intentionally to lower production costs, DoE sources said.
The team tested the toxic waste and detected that oxygen level was only 0.67 mg per litre while the minimum oxygen level in water should range between 4.5 and 4.8 mg per litre.
Since its inception in 2006, the factory has discharged over 1,50,000 cubic metres of toxic industrial wastes.
The DoE served a show cause notice to the managing director of the factory following which he appeared for the hearing.
Director of DoE (enforcement and monitoring) Munir Chowdhury then fined the factory and warned to shut down the factory, if the company does not comply with the Bangladesh Environment Protection Act and activate the ETP.
The company got its environment clearance certificate in 2010 which expired 10 months ago, DoE sources said.
The government announced the river Turag an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA) since November, 2009.
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