Sea polluter fined in Chittagong
The Department of Environment (DoE) yesterday fined Sunman Textile Limited at Kadam Rasul, Sitakunda Tk 16 lakh for polluting sea with liquid chemical waste.
A team from DoE led by Munir Chowdhury, director of monitoring and enforcement department of the organisation took the action during Operation Prevent Environment Crime drive at the company.
The company is owned by Major (retd) Abdul Mannan, secretary general of Bikalpadhara Bangladesh.
Earlier, the DoE sent notices to the company, three times in the past two years asking the authorities to increase the capacity of their existing effluent treatment plant (ETP), said Munir Chowdhury. The DoE did not even renew the clearance certificate, he added.
However, instead of using the ETP, the authorities continued discharging untreated chemical wastes into a canal next to the mill to lower operation costs. The toxic dyes end up in the Bay of Bengal when the canal gets flooded during high tide.
During the drive, the team conducted a test on a sample of liquid waste and found an amount of toxic substances beyond the acceptable level set by the government.
“The factory discharged around 50,000 cubic-metres of untreated liquid wastes per day,” said Munir.
DoE has asked the authority to use ETP in future which they promised to do, he added.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. 
Related News
Boy found dead in Ctg monastery
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Crime & Justice
Eid joy marred by tragedy
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh
Sitakunda Blast: Who started the fire?
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Accidents & Fires
Railway’s east zone reels from manpower crisis
5 July 2022, 18:00 PM
Transport
Barred from rally at Suhrawardy, BNP to hold protest across country tomorrow
13 November 2016, 07:30 AM
Politics
Comments