Polluting factories: Business to respond
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
HOW could the members of the business community demand more time, in the name of an integrated approach, for setting up waste treatment plants? They were given enough time to solve the problem. They did nothing and misused the time to further pollute the rivers around capital city. They degraded the environment. This now threatens city-life and aquatic life.
The industries have been throwing industrial wastes into rivers around the capital for years. They side-tracked the installation of ETPs, which is mandatory since 1995, for the factories that release liquid wastes. They resorted to corruption to side-track or bend the law.
The caretaker government revived the issue in January 2007 and asked the environment ministry to ensure installation of ETPs at industry sites. The ministry held more than 20 meetings with the stakeholders before giving two deadlines to implement the law. But the factory owners took time from the government to refrain from its implementation as usual. So it is quite legitimate for the government to sue those who are yet to install the ETPs in their factories. The business community could raise the issues, they are raising now, during so many negotiations they had with the ministry. It is now time for them to pay compensation to the nation.
Mosaddek Hossain
Demra, Dhaka
The industries have been throwing industrial wastes into rivers around the capital for years. They side-tracked the installation of ETPs, which is mandatory since 1995, for the factories that release liquid wastes. They resorted to corruption to side-track or bend the law.
The caretaker government revived the issue in January 2007 and asked the environment ministry to ensure installation of ETPs at industry sites. The ministry held more than 20 meetings with the stakeholders before giving two deadlines to implement the law. But the factory owners took time from the government to refrain from its implementation as usual. So it is quite legitimate for the government to sue those who are yet to install the ETPs in their factories. The business community could raise the issues, they are raising now, during so many negotiations they had with the ministry. It is now time for them to pay compensation to the nation.
Mosaddek Hossain
Demra, Dhaka