The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined two factories a total of Tk 52 lakh for discharging untreated liquid waste in the Shitalakkhya.
The two factories, Falcon Tex Limited in Kanchpur and Empire Dyeing Limited in Siddhirganj were fined Tk 20 lakh and Tk 33 lakh respectively for operating without setting up effluent treatment plants (ETP).
The DoE had warned the factories earlier that unless they set up ETPs immediately and complied with the environmental regulations, their gas, power and water supply would be severed. None of them had been issued clearance certificate by the DoE.
However, in spite of the warnings, the mills continued discharging untreated liquid waste in a nearby drain that ultimately ended up in the Shitalakkhya. The mills have so far emptied almost 260,000 cubic metres of impurities into the river, according to an estimation of the mobile team of DoE officials.
During the drive, led by Mohammed Munir Chowdhury, director of Enforcement and Monitoring unit of the department, the team found red and yellow coloured untreated toxic waste being discharged from Empire Dyeing Limited.
The Narayanganj Police and officials of Palli Bidyut Samity also participated in the crackdown.
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.
Meanwhile, the mobile team disconnected power supply to Imam Poultry Farm in Nayabari of Sonargaon for operating without an Environment Clearance Certificate.
