Industrial and Municipality waste is constantly polluting the environment at Tangail, Bangladesh
By Zeba Tarunnum
Day by day, the environment at Tangail is being polluted by the dumping of factory waste and garbage in open spaces. Besides this, due to the odor of toxic waste, the residents are suffering from various diseases.
According to environmental experts, along with natural environmental pollution, industrial waste causes suffering to the human body. Even after complaining to the authorities regarding this, yet to see any action.
The Tangail municipality is constantly dumping municipality waste on an open space beside the Rabna Bypass, the main entrance road of Tangail city, and also another open space beside the taxi Stand and is polluting the environment.
On the other hand, in the municipal area, dirty, toxic, and stinking water is being discharged directly into the Louhajang river which causes River pollution.
Besides this, without using an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) by violating the government guidelines, various factories discharge their toxic waste into the Louhajang River and are continued polluting the environment. These factories are Universal Yarn Dyeing and Mahera Paper Mill’s and some others at the Tartia BSCIC area. Due to this, the environmental balance is losing along with dying the aquatic plants, fish, and frogs of the river.
Al-Amin Mia, Motor Worker’s President of Rabna Bypass, said, the garbage of Tangail municipality is being dumped on the side of the Rabna bypass road for more than 10 years. This creates problems for our work. No customer can wait for long due to bad odor. Pedestrians are walking on this road with their noses and mouths tied.
The cleaning staff said, all these wastes are being dumped in the Rabna Bypass and Babystand area of Tangail city with the permission of the municipal officials. Despite the suffering of the people, due to having instructions garbage is being dumped at the entrances of the city.
Gafur Mia, a resident of the Tartia area, said, we used to take baths in the Lohajang river and used to bathe the cows and calves as well. However, due to the odor of the nearby factory wastes, it is not now possible to stand on the bank of the river. We suffer from various diseases, including body itching while we take bath in the river. Although we used to use the river water even a decade ago, we don’t use it now.
Gautam Chandra, Divisional Coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) said, even though the industries are supposed to use ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant), according to the government rules but they are not using it.
As a result, the waste of those industries is polluting the river water, air and causing severe damage to poultry. Although various environmental organizations have come together to discuss this issue in various programs, including organizing human chain and meetings to protect the environment, they have not yet got any benefit even today.
Shahjahan Ansari, Chairman of Tangail Sadar Upazila Parishad, said, the waste of various industries, including Universal Yang Dyeing in the Tartia area is falling into the Louhajang River and is constantly polluting the environment. It is causing damage to the human environment.
SM Sirajul Haque Alamgir, Tangail Municipality Mayor, said, if the waste disposal site is designated in the municipal area, the waste will not be disposed of on the Rabna Bypass.
On the other hand, they have plans not to dump Municipality waste directly into the river. In addition, its aesthetic condition will be brought back after cleaning the riverbank and constructing the road. The deputy commissioner’s cooperation has been sought in this regard.
Dr. Abul Fazl Sahab Uddin Khan, Civil Surgeon, Tangail, said, all these can cause severe damage to the human body. Toxic water can cause waterborne diseases, including diarrhea, Liver, and kidney damage.
Mohammad Mujahidul Islam, Deputy Director of the District Environment Department, said, industrial pollution falls under our law. If there is specific, information about any industry not using ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant) then legal action will be taken against it.
