Environmental clearance revocation for illegal Savar tanneries after Eid-ul-Fitr: Saber

After Eid-ul-Fitr, the process to revoke the environmental clearance for illegal factories in the Savar tannery industrial city will be initiated, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said today (6 March).

"Considering public health, further pollution from the industrial zone is deemed unacceptable. A timeline must be established for the implementation of effluent treatment plants (ETP) in these factories. To avert pollution, both the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Industries concur that exceeding reasonable limits is not feasible," the minister said at a meeting held at BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate's auditorium in Hemayetpur.

"Failure to meet the pollution control demands of the Leather Working Group (LWG) will result in the inability to export. After a decade-long deficit, it is now crucial to prioritise pollution prevention.

"Pollution is a catalyst for human health issues such as cancer. Moreover, pollution adversely impacts aquatic ecosystems, reducing oxygen and making it unsuitable for bacteria to survive." Saber added.

Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman presided over the meeting.

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Farina Ahmed, Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Chairman Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Ministry of Industries Additional Secretary Kamrun Nahar, BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate Managing Director Golam Shahnewaz, and owners of the respective leather factories, were also present among others.