Yarn dyeing, processing mills creating health hazard
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Our Correspondent
SIRAJGANJ, March 7: Toxic water, released from several yarn dyeing and processing mills, is posing serious health hazards, causing untold sufferings to thousands of people, and polluting the local environment in Belkuchi under Sirajganj.
These mills are installed without permission of the authorities concerned by some influential people without any treatment plant and drainage system, complained local residents.
Belkuchi is one of the famous weaving zones of the northern region. About 0.2 million people in the area are directly and indirectly involved in this profession.
The influential entrpreneurs have set up over 100 yarn dyeing and processing mills at different villages like Tamai, Shohagpur, Garamashi, Chala, Chandangati and Mukundagati by managing some unscrupulous officials.
Several toxic chemicals like - sulphuric acid, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, caustic soda, bleaching powder, silicate, artificial colours etc are used in these mills to treat the thread or cotton. Polluted water, mixed with these chemicals, flows into ponds and marshes from the mills, and creates serious health hazards to the people.
Besides, an acute shortage of pure and clean drinking water has been prevailing in the areas. Most of the tube-wells in the locality have become inoperative, as the toxic waste from the mills is polluting even the under ground water.
As a result, yellow water, collected from the tube-wells, is frequently spreading diseases among the local people. Many people have been suffering from diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting after drinking the polluted water. Various skin diseases have already infected a large number of people. Eye infection is another phenomenon for the regular users of the water.
Not only that, the toxic water has been damaging the fertility of croplands and fruit-gardens, and also destroying fishes in ponds and marshes, causing huge loss to the local farmers and fish cultivators.
SIRAJGANJ, March 7: Toxic water, released from several yarn dyeing and processing mills, is posing serious health hazards, causing untold sufferings to thousands of people, and polluting the local environment in Belkuchi under Sirajganj.
These mills are installed without permission of the authorities concerned by some influential people without any treatment plant and drainage system, complained local residents.
Belkuchi is one of the famous weaving zones of the northern region. About 0.2 million people in the area are directly and indirectly involved in this profession.
The influential entrpreneurs have set up over 100 yarn dyeing and processing mills at different villages like Tamai, Shohagpur, Garamashi, Chala, Chandangati and Mukundagati by managing some unscrupulous officials.
Several toxic chemicals like - sulphuric acid, acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, caustic soda, bleaching powder, silicate, artificial colours etc are used in these mills to treat the thread or cotton. Polluted water, mixed with these chemicals, flows into ponds and marshes from the mills, and creates serious health hazards to the people.
Besides, an acute shortage of pure and clean drinking water has been prevailing in the areas. Most of the tube-wells in the locality have become inoperative, as the toxic waste from the mills is polluting even the under ground water.
As a result, yellow water, collected from the tube-wells, is frequently spreading diseases among the local people. Many people have been suffering from diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting after drinking the polluted water. Various skin diseases have already infected a large number of people. Eye infection is another phenomenon for the regular users of the water.
Not only that, the toxic water has been damaging the fertility of croplands and fruit-gardens, and also destroying fishes in ponds and marshes, causing huge loss to the local farmers and fish cultivators.