Bangladesh Environment Lawyers Association (Bela) yesterday served a legal notice on different ministries and government offices asking them to stop pollution of Dholaibil, Bilbaghil and Karnapara canals in Savar.
Industries mostly dyeing, spinning and textile, and dairy farms situated by these three canals dump toxic wastes in the canals polluting their water, the legal notice read, adding that locals are suffering from various diseases and the agriculture and fish production are being hampered seriously as a result of the pollution.
The legal notice gave the authorities a seven-day deadline to respond before Bela takes legal action against them.
Respondents of the legal notice are the secretaries of the ministries of land, environment and forest, fisheries and livestock, local government, rural development and cooperatives, director of the Department of Environment, deputy commissioner of Dhaka and upazila nirbahi officer of Savar.
The three canals run through the Savar upazila on the outskirt of Dhaka. Of the 10 lakh people living in 12 union parishads under the upazila, nearly one lakh depend on these canals for their livelihood, a Bela press release said.
Many among the residents of the area are farmers and fishermen for whom the water of these canals is very crucial for irrigation and fishing purposes.
Industries of the area did not obtain environment clearance certificate or establish any effluent treatment plant, which is a violation of existing laws, said the press release.
The Dholaibil canal is located in Ganakbari, Bashbari, Dehora, Kamalshi and Nolam mouja; Bilbaghil is in Bilbaghil mouja while the Karnapara canal stretches across Khalitakhali, Sherpur, Karnapara and Baroigram mouja.
