Pollution threatens to bleed Chittagong

The natural surrounding of the port city is under threat due to industrial pollution, rampant hill cutting, tree felling, discharge of clinical, industrial and household wastes and absence of drainage and sewerage system here, reports The Independent. 
Oil and poisonous chemicals are freely discharged into Karnaphuli river, thus polluting the water of the river. Industries located on the banks of the river also discharge poisonous chemicals and wastes into the water of Karnaphuli, while the ships and tankers cause oil spills. The CPA launched several drives in the past to check water pollution in its territory in the Bay of Bengal and Karnaphuli in the last two years. But after transfer of the then CPA Magistrate Munir Chowdhury, the operations suddenly stopped last year.
To generate awareness among the people, the environmental activists and civil societies of Chittagong arranged a three-day-long programme, which included Swampan Rally, Swampan Race and Chittagong Cultural Festival on May 6-9 last. Hundreds of Swampans took part in the race and several hundred people took part in the programme and vowed to prevent anymore damage to the environment of the port city.
A number of civil society leaders, including former VC of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology Prof Engr Mojammel Haque, President of Chittagong Press Club Abu Sufian, professor in the Department of Marine Science of CU Marug Hossain, Dr Abul Kashem, Prof Idris Ali, journalist Siddik Ahamed and daughter of Bir Sherastha Ruhul Amin Fatima Amin jointly inaugurated the three-day programme.
Sources said some criminal elements, having the patronage of influential politicians, local goons and those in administration, operate as a well-organised syndicate and cut hill in the port city, thus posing serious threats of ecological imbalance and environmental disasters, apart from causing damage to natural beauty and the bio-diversity of this region. The rampant hill cutting is also the prime cause of the frequent landslides here during the rainy season.
Despite of the law of the government against hill cutting in Chittagong, most of the hills have already been chipped off over the last several years. The worst affected areas vis-a-vis unabated hill cutting are Khulshi, Panchlaish, Sholoshahar, Baizid Bostami, Foy’s Lake, Lalkhan Bazar, Oxygen Intersection and Polytechnic area, the sources said. Besides, hill cutting is also going on in Banshkhali, Hathazari, Fatikchari and another hilly upazilas in the district.
On the other hand, around 40 lakh city dwellers throw their household wastes just anywhere, including cannels and drains of the city, due to the lack of sewerage and drainage system. Three important canals-Nasir Khal, Bohadder Hat Khal, Hijra Khal-were damaged due to mud and other pollutants earlier.  The five-km-long Chaktai Khal had got filled up with the wastes. As a result, the rainwater usually over-flowed from the canal, flooding both sides, which caused immense trouble to over five lakh dwellers from Bahadderhat to Chaktai areas.
Also, there is no drainage system in Chittagong. Despite the Master Plan of CDA, no government authority, including the CDA, WASA or the city corporation, has taken any initiative to develop a drainage system in the city since long.
Clinical garbage is another curse for the city, as there is no system for management of the clinical garbage of about 200 hospitals and clinics in Chittagong.  Those living in the vicinity of some hospital or private clinic are the worst-affected lot. The clinics and hospitals of the city are used to throwing garbage at open spaces.
As per the rule, clinics and hospitals are supposed top have their own plants to destroy their wastes. But that is certainly not the case.
Two major mayoral candidates-Awami League-backed Alhaj ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and BNP-backed Alhaj Manzur Alam Manzu-have already promised to the people during their campaign for the upcoming election to the Chittagong City Corporation that they would take initiatives to save the environment of Chittagong and make the city garbage- free.