In Bangladesh, the daily @dailystarnews into account the parliament's recommendation to divide all 140 tanneries of the Savar Tannery Industry into three categories, based on compliance and lack thereof in treating tannery waste, and close down those that have never applied for environmental clearance and are unlikely to comply. [Divide 140 tanneries in 3 categories - The Daily Star]
The parliamentary standing committee on environment, forest and climate change ministry made the recommendation in its meeting at Jatiya Sangsad.
Mentionable, this is the first time all government stakeholders involved with Savar Tannery Industry, including top officials of industries and commerce ministries, were present at the committee's meeting.
State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder attended the meeting on invitation.
Emerging from the meeting, Saber Hossain Chowdhury, chief of the body, told The Daily Star that following a discussion with all concerned, the parliamentary watchdog yesterday unanimously decided that a list of tanneries that will be closed down will be finalised by next month.
"The purpose of relocating tannery factories from Hazaribagh to Savar was to prevent pollution and save the environment and rivers. But Dhaleshwari of Savar has almost died. There is no solid waste treatment system in the tannery industry," he said.
Saber, also an Awami League lawmaker, said the industries and commerce ministries have admitted their failure to save the river.
Factories that have built their own waste-treatment plants will be in category one. The second category will include companies that have never applied for environmental clearance and are unlikely to comply. The remaining factories will be in the third category.
Saber said factories in the second category will be closed down quickly. The ministry concerned will cancel their licence.
Tanneries in the third category will be given six months to comply. The list of these establishments will be finalised in the meeting of the parliamentary committee next month, said the committee chairperson.
Apart from this, the JS body also asked to identify those responsible for implementing the Savar Tannery Industry Project without ensuring an adequate waste-treatment system.
The tannery industry of Savar generates 40,000 cubic metres of waste per day, with a waste management capacity of 25,000 cubic metres, according to statistics of Department of Environment, placed in the meeting. There is no solid waste management system there.
In August last year, the JS body recommended closing the tannery industry due to polluting the environment and Dhaleswari. But its recommendation was not implemented.
In such a situation, the parliamentary committee in its previous meeting decided to summon secretaries of the two mentioned ministries in yesterday's meeting.
