The Department of Environment fined a steel mill Tk 9.11 lakh at Nasirabad industrial area yesterday as the factory is polluting air by emitting toxic smoke.
A team led by Munir Chowdhury, director (enforcement) of DoE in Chittagong, penalised Messers Multi Steel Casting Ltd in a drive to prevent environment crimes.
Munir Chowdhury said the factory had been running without clearance from DoE, and Fume Extraction System which is obligatory for industries of this kind.
”Toxic smoke from the mill poses health hazards to workers and local residents, as fume extraction system is absent here,” said Munir, adding that they strictly directed it to set up the system as soon as possible.
The factory produces 40 to 50 tonnes of mild steel rods a day.
In another drive, a mobile court fined Messer’s Jahir and Son’s of Khatunganj Tk 30 thousand for making vermicelli in unhygienic conditions.
The mobile court, led by District Administration Magistrate Fiznur Rahman, penalised the factory also for continuing activities without licence from Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).
Fiznur said they damaged around 1.5 tonnes of vermicelli seized from the factory.
In the same drive, Messer’s Rashed Brothers of Muradpur was fined Tk 40 thousand for manufacturing cake flavours by mixing dyes and running business without BSTI licence, he added.
