Photo : TDM
Three factories owned by BHL Group Co. Ltd. have been accused of polluting the Madhavpur environment and its surroundings in Habiganj.
The factories have been accused of cost-saving measures that involve shutting down Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and releasing polluted effluents from ceramics and chemical production into open areas such as agricultural lands and rivers.
Local residents have raised serious concerns about the significant damage inflicted on croplands, rivers, canals, and riverbanks. Aquatic life, including fish populations, is suffering, and the daily lives of residents in five nearby villages have been severely disrupted.
Residents of the five villages within Jagdishpur Union have voiced complaints about the disruptive noise generated by factory machinery situated on fertile agricultural land. Furthermore, the pollution caused by waste discharge has led them to take action.
They recently submitted a petition with numerous public signatures to the Sylhet Divisional Director of the Department of Environment. Mohammad Emran Hossain, the Departmental Director, confirmed receipt of written complaints from local residents regarding environmental pollution. He disclosed that the company had been fined Tk 15 lakh recently in response to these complaints.
Despite the establishment of two factories in 2017 and 2019, the ETP was only installed in 2022 for reasons that remain undisclosed. According to reliable sources, the ETP plant, with a capacity of one lakh liters, can purify up to 6000 liters of water daily. However, three months after its installation, a letter was sent to the Deputy Director of the Department of Environment on December 12 of the previous year, signed by Salman Al Rizvi, the manager of the human resources and administration department at the factory. This letter requested a two-month period for maintenance and cleaning of the ETP, which remains closed under the pretext of repairs.
Md. Aktaruzzaman Tuku, the District Officer of the Department of Environment in Habiganj, explained that clearance was granted by the Sylhet office of the headquarters on March 19, 2018. No separate permit has been issued for the chemical factory.
Attempts to contact BHL Factory General Manager Md. Latif Hossain were unsuccessful.
However, an anonymous high-ranking official from the establishment revealed that out of the two ETPs installed in the factories, only one is currently operational. The official acknowledged that the approvals for Zero Discharge and Water Resources Planning Agency are still pending, and also admitted that the ETP is currently non-operational.
Local residents, including Suresh Sarkar, a fisherman from Shyampur village, and Alam Mia, a vegetable grower, have reported the daily release of polluted water and liquid waste from the factory into agricultural lands and canals. The once arable lands have become unsuitable for cultivation due to the foul stench and toxic water seeping into them. Residents who come into contact with polluted water while farming have experienced various diseases, including skin conditions. Toxic water has also made it impossible for them to raise ducks, chickens, and fish.
In the western part of the factory, near the settlement, residents are disturbed by loud nighttime noise. Approximately 300 families in Shyampur village have reported that the noise prevents their children from studying, and during the day, nothing can be heard except the deafening sound of machinery, according to 60-year-old Suresh Sarkar and his daughter-in-law Parvat Sarkar.
Domestic tube wells in Ashapash villages are failing to supply water for household use because high-capacity machine pumps are diverting water to the factories.
Further investigations have revealed that both BHL and Bangladesh Hardland Ceramics Factory have been producing sodium silicate without obtaining the necessary permissions, selling it at commercial rates across the country. This has resulted in significant revenue loss for the government. Additionally, Mohammad Fariduzzaman, the War House Inspector, stated that the chemical factory did not receive approval from the Fire Service and Civil Defense.
Md. Aktaruzzaman Tuku, the District Officer of the Department of Environment in Habiganj, explained that clearance was granted by the Sylhet office of the headquarters on March 19, 2018. No separate permit has been issued for the chemical factory.
Attempts to contact BHL Factory General Manager Md. Latif Hossain were unsuccessful.
However, an anonymous high-ranking official from the establishment revealed that out of the two ETPs installed in the factories, only one is currently operational. The official acknowledged that the approvals for Zero Discharge and Water Resources Planning Agency are still pending, and also admitted that the ETP is currently non-operational.
TDM/SD
