Relocate Hazaribagh tanneries to Savar on time, or face shutdown

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina warned the tannery owners at Hazaribagh of the capital Thursday of dire consequence if they failed to relocate their tanneries in Savar within the stipulated time, reports UNB.
"Construction of the central ETP in Savar has already begun. You've to relocate your industries there in time. Otherwise, we'll have to shut down the industries," she said.
The PM issued the warning while inaugurating the World Environment Day-2014 as well as National Tree Plantation Campaign and Tree Fair 2014 at a function at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC).
Forests and Environment Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, who chaired the function, also spoke, among others. Forests and Environment secretary Shafiqur Rahman Patwary delivered the welcome address.
The Prime Minister said in the interest of environment, ETPs have been set up in 812 industries so far. She expressed hope that her government would be able to set up ETPs in all the industries in the country by the year 2018.
Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) under the ministry of industries is implementing the entire 'Dhaka Tannery Estate' project on 199.40 acres of land in Savar at a cost of about Tk 10.79 billion (1,078.71 crore).
A China-Bangladesh joint venture company, JLEPCL-DCL, is now setting up the CETP and Dumping Yard at the Tannery Estate where the Dhaka city's tanneries in Hazaribagh area will be relocated.
The joint venture company was awarded the job in October 2012 to complete the CETP construction within 18 months.
Officials said a total of 205 industrial plots were allocated to 155 tannery industries to be relocated from Dhaka's Hazaribagh to the Tannery Estate in Savar.
Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultation, a commercially operated technical wing of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), will work as consultant for the central effluent treatment plant (CETP) of the proposed Dhaka Tannery Estate in Savar.
The BUET's technical wing will supervise the environmental, structural, foundational, chemical, electrical and mechanical job of the CETP scheme at a contract value of Tk 50 million.
The Tannery Estate project is a longstanding one, undertaken by the government in 2003 for implementation by 2005 against the backdrop of growing concern over environmental pollution.
The Prime Minister also called upon the developed countries to fulfil their commitment to facing the adverse impacts of the climate change and urged the world community to be more vocal in this connection.
She said Bangladesh is the worst sufferer of the adverse impacts of the climate change although it has no role in causing it.
Sheikh Hasina said the industrially rich countries have been emitting carbon in the air for years, increasing the temperature of the surface of the Earth.
As a result, she said, coastal countries like Bangladesh are experiencing various natural disasters including frequent cyclone and tidal surge although the country is not at all responsible for industrial carbon emission.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the Board of Green Climate Fund would start financing and take necessary activities to face the loss due to the adverse impacts of climate change.
She said her government is "marching ahead overcoming all obstacles to protecting the environment as well as protecting and developing the forests."
She mentioned that her government allocated Tk 27 billion to the Climate Change Fund from country's own resources without depending on foreign financing and 270 projects have already been implemented from the fund.
Referring to the formation of the international Green Climate Fund, Hasina said the fund was formed following Bangladesh's call at the 15th World Climate Conference aimed at providing all-out cooperation and assistance to face climate change.
She mentioned that her government has undertaken the Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation activities aimed at protecting the forests and ensuring sustainable forest management.
Putting emphasis on protecting environment, the Prime Minister said her government has developed renewable energy system to bring down carbon emission to the lowest level as well as declared 17 million acres of new land as reserve forest, a milestone in this connection.
About air pollution, she mentioned that over 2,140 conventional brickfields have been transformed into modern ones to reduce air pollution and said that all the brickfields in the country will have to adopt the modern technology in phases.
Laying emphasis on planting of trees for protecting the environment, Hasina urged every citizen to collect and plant at least three saplings - one of fruit, one of herbs and other of timber - and nurture those to contribute to the government efforts and build a bright future for the next generation.
She called upon all to further advance the National Tree Plantation Campaign through social afforestation.
The Prime Minister distributed National Environment Award-2014 to three individuals and Bangabandhu Award for Wildlife Conservation 2013 to four individuals and organisations for their contributions to the conservation of forest, nature and wildlife.
She also distributed the Prime Minister's Special Aaward-2014 to 30 individuals and organisations in 10 categories for their outstanding contributions to planting trees.