The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined two factories a total of Tk 16 lakh for polluting Turag and Dhaleswari rivers with untreated liquid waste.
The dyeing plants, Rakef Apparels Washing and Packaging Industries Limited in Kaliakoir and Towel Text Limited in Savar are more than ten years old and process around two tonnes of knit fabrics everyday.
Despite receiving prior warnings from the DoE, the factories did not bother to set up effluent treatment plants (ETP) to treat the toxic liquid waste before discharging.
Both the factories had been warned that their gas, electricity and water supply would be disconnected unless they comply with the environmental rules and regulations.
A team of DoE led by Mohammed Munir Chowdhury, director of enforcement and monitoring unit led the unannounced drive during the ‘Operation Prevent Environment Crime’.
Four factories have been fined Tk 68 lakh in the last two days under this drive.
ETPs are used to treat water that has been contaminated by either industrial or commercial activities prior to its release into the environment or its re-use.
