The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined six industrial groups and two brick fields Tk 1.1 crore on charges of polluting and grabbing rivers around the capital.
The penalised industrial groups are — Pran Group, Akij Group, Niki Dying, Atlantic Industries Ltd, ARS Washing Ltd, PA Knit Composite, and the brick fields NMB, said a press release.
The Pran Group was penalised for polluting the Shitalakhya River with faulty effluent treatment plant in Ghorshal; Akij Group for polluting Bangshai river with solid waste in Dhamrai; Niki Dying for polluting Shitalakhya river with untreated liquid effluent in Kanchpur; while Atlantic Industries Ltd, ARS washing Ltd and PA Knit Composite were fined for polluting Turag river in Tongi.
The DoE ordered the authorities of Pran Group to rectify its effluent treatment plant within a month.
It also asked the authorities Akij Group to remove solid wastes from the river within a week.
While the brick field owners were asked to clear the river of illegal encroachment by this morning.
Contacted, Sheikh Wares, chief operating officer of Pran Group, said, “Probably, the effluent treatment plant was not defective.”
But officials of other companies could not be contacted despite tries over cellphone.
-With The Daily Star input
