Department of Environment (Bangladesh) has become useless due to bureaucracy, lack of modern technology and audit, and lack of professional skills: Transparency International Bangladesh
Environmental pollution in the country has increased to alarming levels. Especially the condition of other commercial areas, including the capital Dhaka is the worst. Industrial pollution has already affected the air, water, and rivers.
One of the Department of Environment (DOE), Bangladesh, tasks is to clearance to the industrial establishments after conducting a comprehensive assessment.
Suppose any organization violates rules, then DOE bounds to take appropriate action against the polluting establishments. Similarly, it’s the responsibility to disclose the activities to the public involved in the pollution and what action has been brought against them.
Although it has been done regularly before, recently, the DOE is not revealing the names of the big polluting organizations. This step is to save the quality of big industrial owners.
Disclosure of the name of the long-studied polluter has become a kind of institutional custom. It is unfortunate to stop it suddenly. As a state agency, deviating from this institutional rule of the DOE is not desirable.
Since its inception, the Department of Environment has been working to protect the environment and prevent pollution. However, over time, the crisis of good governance in the Organization has intensified. Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) research has shown that the DOE has become useless due to bureaucracy, lack of modern technology and audit, and lack of professional skills.
Corruption institutionalizes in the company due to irregularities and corruption of many employees, a large amount of irregular financial transactions, and a lack of effective measures to prevent it.
This Organization’s effectiveness hampers due to the collaboration of its employees’ links with owners of the polluting industries.
While the DOE is responsible for controlling environmental pollution and creating an environment conducive to tackling climate change, the Organization is playing a kind of retrograde role. The recent verbal decision not to reveal the name of the polluter is a reflection of that.
Through this, the issue of protecting the group’s interests instead of protecting the environment became evident. It is frustrating. To overcome this situation, the DOE needs to streamline.
At least two decades ago, enacted the laws in the country for environmental protection. The ‘Environmental Protection Act’ passed in 1995 is a good enough law. There are also three separate courts to try crimes related to environmental pollution.
Implementation of this law is inadequate; as a result, crimes related to environmental pollution are not getting proper importance. There is a lack of awareness among those whose actions are causing pollution in the environment that their actions are punishable under the Environmental Protection Act.
Even if they are considered a crime, they are confident that the punishment for such crimes can be avoided by paying some fines.
The DOE has been visiting various factories or spots as routine work. Those responsible for identifying the cause of the pollution are fined in many cases. However, no strict punishment has not implemented so far.
As a result, it is not possible to strictly control environmental pollution. Therefore, despite having good laws, its expected benefits are not being met due to a lack of effective implementation.
So we want extraordinary activism from the Department of Environment to change the situation.
Concerned parties say the Organization still suffers from some institutional limitations. Although the environment is a pervasive issue, the Department of Environment has offices in only 21 districts.
As a result, some offices have to simultaneously conduct activities in three or four districts. In addition, the Department of Environment lacks infrastructure and logistics.
Although the environmental clearance application process is online, the issuance and renewal have not been digitalized entirely. There is a lack of modern technology in monitoring environmental protection and pollution control activities.
In addition, the company has not expanded its geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing technology.
The Department of the Environment cannot accurately identify the pollution level as it conducts operations manually. It is time to eliminate these shortcomings to increase the Organization’s efficiency.
